<p>Around 50 more executive engineers of different electricity supply companies (Escoms) are set to be suspended in a week if they don’t cancel the “illegal” agreements they signed for setting up of rooftop solar plants, Energy Minister D K Shivakumar said on Wednesday.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The rooftop solar scheme was misused by some Escom engineers. The engineers had colluded with investors to grant permission even in cases where there were no buildings.<br /><br />Though the state power regulator had reduced procurement tariff for these units from the earlier Rs 9.56 a unit to the range of Rs 5.20 to Rs 7.08 per unit depending upon their capacity, the engineers had allegedly signed pacts with old dates to get higher tariff.<br /><br />“There are cases where engineers approved rooftop solar energy harvesting at places without roof tops. This kind of violation in Power Purchase Agreements can’t be accepted. <br /><br />We have already suspended some engineers and we will suspend around 50 more next week if they don’t cancel the agreements,” said Shivakumar.<br /><br />The government began cracking the whip on erring officials on July 6, when nine executive engineers were suspended.</p>
<p>Around 50 more executive engineers of different electricity supply companies (Escoms) are set to be suspended in a week if they don’t cancel the “illegal” agreements they signed for setting up of rooftop solar plants, Energy Minister D K Shivakumar said on Wednesday.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The rooftop solar scheme was misused by some Escom engineers. The engineers had colluded with investors to grant permission even in cases where there were no buildings.<br /><br />Though the state power regulator had reduced procurement tariff for these units from the earlier Rs 9.56 a unit to the range of Rs 5.20 to Rs 7.08 per unit depending upon their capacity, the engineers had allegedly signed pacts with old dates to get higher tariff.<br /><br />“There are cases where engineers approved rooftop solar energy harvesting at places without roof tops. This kind of violation in Power Purchase Agreements can’t be accepted. <br /><br />We have already suspended some engineers and we will suspend around 50 more next week if they don’t cancel the agreements,” said Shivakumar.<br /><br />The government began cracking the whip on erring officials on July 6, when nine executive engineers were suspended.</p>
