HOT TOPICS

SPOTLIGHT AGENCIES

Who is reponsible for transformer maintenance

254

Written By sanjayv - 23 February, 2011

Bangalore BESCOM Power Power Supply Maintenance Need Help Transformer ownership

I live in an apartment community.  We have a few transformers.  One of the things we realized recently is that our transformers really need some maintenance - oil level, dessicant cartridge, gaskets, oil filteration etc.  Then a question was posed - (a) Who owns the transformers - us or BESCOM.  Who is responsible for servicing them?

I have no idea about ownership and maintenance responsibility.  Does anybody know about this? Can you help with some gyan on this iquestion?

COMMENTS

old story

murali772 - 9 May, 2014 - 03:48

That's old story, Sanjay. Read Mr Mani Samuel's post of 4th March, 2011, scrolling above, and many more thereof.

Very plainly, BESCOM is giving a very unfair deal, in every respect, to consumers, and it's time the consumers collectively demanded that the services be privatised, more or less along the Delhi model.

Is it quality that the govt is actually looking for?

murali772 - 16 August, 2014 - 12:34

“The quality of our (Kavika) transformers is far superior to that of private manufacturers and the rate is competitive too. The expansion would not only increase the strength of the workforce from the present about 300 to 600, it will also bring down the expenditure on purchase of transformers,” an official said.
 
The state government is also considering a proposal to modernise another state-owned company, Mysore Electrical Industries (MEI), which makes switchgear equipment.
 
For the full text of the report in the New Indian Express, click here.
 
The problem actually lies in the fact that the ESCOM lot do not want quality transformers (as also other products). The procurement processes are in fact tuned to favour a few select contractors, and simultaneously also to ensure that a large percentage of the supply fails within weeks/ months of installation, in order to generate fresh contracts for dismantling and repair, with the engineers and contractors involved making huge money in the process. Having been involved closely with the transformer industry once, my information may be considered first hand. 
 
And, there is no changing any of this as long as the ESCOMS remain government-owned. A Manivannan may come and the activities may subside for a while. But, the mafia (which of course goes upto the political level) will ensure that he is moved out fast, and thereafter, they will resume their game with even more vigour in order to make up for the lost time. 
 
The question therefore is does the government want a solution, and does the Civil Society want to demand that of the government. If yes, Delhi has, as of recent, shown the way - check this. Good transformers, and other equipment, will automatically follow.
 
As for Kavika, as also MEI, it's best if the government disinvests from both. One had begun to believe that an overall consensus was evolving across the country that governments need to pull out of providing services, after having decided on that for manufacturing long ago. So, what is this talk of reviving these dinosaurs (read my post of 20th March,'11 - scrolling above)?

the sad reality

murali772 - 23 February, 2011 - 15:20

I just had a talk with arguably the best known electrical consultant in the field in the city - a good friend of mine. He told me that for providing the connection (HT), BESCOM requires the developer to put up the entire installation, and maintain it for a year, after which it becomes the property of BESCOM. Thereafter, though they should be maintaining it, it never happens that way, and the burden falls on the consumer/ s (association, in your case). And, being a HT installation, the servicing and maintenance has to be carried out by a certified class-1 contractor, and the 'compliance report' submitted to the Electrical Inspectorate annually, when they send you the notice. There's a nominal fee for it all, which again you'll have to bear. But, far more is the bribe to be paid, without which the report will never get accepted - the usual places where they catch you are the 'Megger readings in the earth pits', which will never reach satisfactory levels till such times as the demands are complied with (well, part of the 'compliance' procedure, you may say :))) ). Most contractors will handle the job for you, and give you a bill for it all, adding their service charges for the 'special services' too.

Electrical Inspectorate was one of my constant nightmares when I was running my industry - check this.

Yes, it's all totally unfair, since it all adds up to the costs on the consumer. My friend has told me that he has an equitable solution for it all, and he will write up a note on it and send it to me within about a week. And, now that we have Mr Manivannan as the BESCOM MD, we can try getting them to accept it.
 

Electrical Inspectorate / BESCOM

sanjayv - 23 February, 2011 - 16:41

Thanks for the note Murali sir.  In our experience, you have to pay BESCOM guys to come and do anything on the transformers and pay for the materials.  Otherwise they just do a crappy bypass. If it is their property, why should we pay?  Some of the repair work has to be seen to be believed.  I saw an MCB at the transformer where one phase had been short circuited with wire. 

This is a really unfair situation.  Seems like if you are living in an apartment, there are additional penalties.  You have to treat sewage, maintain transformers, deal with all and sundry who come and demand bribe, pay for ayudha poojas, deal with extortion rackets by BWSSB valvemen and AEs ... okay, I am venting. Back to subject.

Anyway, it is ironic that you mentioned "Electrical Inspectorate".  Just received a notice today. We have an LT2 connection (not HT).  However, they want to inspect the DG Sets, Lifts and something called the MSB which I am guessing is something like a Main Switch Breaker?  The inspection fee is a "nominal" Rs 16900/-.  Here is the best part- letter is dated 19 Feb 2011.  It was received today 23 Feb 2011.  According to the letter, inspection is on 24/01/2011 - which may be a typo.  And they want us to pay the "fees" on or before inspection date.

RTI response to transformer query

sanjayv - 8 May, 2014 - 13:26

Well, the cat is out of the bag.  based on the response to an RTI filed by an active citizen and apartment dweller in the neighborhood, BESCOM agreed that it is responsible for maintenance of transformers and other related HT equipments in apartments.

Here is the response as posted.  Click on link here.

 

PRAJA.IN COMMENT GUIDELINES

Posting Guidelines apply for comments as well. No foul language, hate mongering or personal attacks. If criticizing third person or an authority, you must be fact based, as constructive as possible, and use gentle words. Avoid going off-topic no matter how nice your comment is. Moderators reserve the right to either edit or simply delete comments that don't meet these guidelines. If you are nice enough to realize you violated the guidelines, please save Moderators some time by editing and fixing yourself. Thanks!