Human resource planning - a challenge

Today officers at THDCL (Tehri Hydro) , now a mini navratna status public sector organization unfold the not so easy Human resource planning that they have experienced since the incorporation of the corporation. While unfolding the sequence of events became more vivid. THDCl was incorporated in July 1988, as a joint venture Corporation of Govt. Of India and Govt. of UP. The Tehri Dam Project was taken over from UP irrigation department (UPID). The workforce engaged by UPID in the Project consisted of regular, work charged and muster roll employees. Though the project execution strategy of UPID was to take up works by engaging contractors, there was a predominant reliance on deploying departmental resources, e.g., heavy machinery and their maintenances. To handle these tasks large numbers of workmen were engaged in mechanical workshop and stores division. Just before the transfer of Tehri Dam Project to THDC, a large number of workmen from Kalagarh Project of UPID were transferred to Tehri Dam Project. In all 1100 no. of work charged / muster roll employees were absorbed in THDC from UPID. During the initial years the amalgamation of the staff transferred from UPID to THDC was an uphill task. The employees of UPID were not comfortable in getting absorbed in a PSU. In the formative years THDC was beset with a very hostile environment wherein demonstrations, gherao, Dharna and strikes were order of the day. This phrase of transition was tackled by THDC with lots of grit and determination through open dialogues, discussions and subsequent agreements with the unions. By now, they have been fully integrated into the THDC system.

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The challenges envisaged were: Maintaining Man MW Ratio Induction of UPID workforce in new the corporate entity(evolving HR policies to facilitate regular absorption) Assimilation of UPID workforce into one composite culture of THDC To address effectively the issues of Job redundancies (evolving the job deceptions to fit into the new role(s) To maintain harmonious industrial relations To fulfil aspirations of the people by creating opportunities for regular job and other employment opportunities through contractors The HRM policy and approach being accommodative during project execution maintain efficiency and service delivery Magnitude of responsibility in time schedule in which various components of the projects have to be completed. Effective co-ordination between various departments external agencies such as District authority.

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In March, 1994 Govt. Of India accorded clearance for execution for Tehri Hydro Electric Project (1000 MW), and for essential/committed works of Khoteshwar HE Project (400 MW) and Tehri Pump Storage Plant (1000 MW). Manpower considered to meet the immediate requirement was as shown in table 1 Table 1 Manpower strength as Manpower requirement on 31.07.1994 assessed upto 31.12.1996 02 04 277 523 1867 2036 2146 2563

CMD /Directors Executives Non-Executives Total

In the year 1996, Govt. Of India constituted the Hanumantha Rao Committee to examine rehabilitation and environment aspects of the Tehri Project. Among other things, the issue of employment to persons belonging to Project Affected Families was considered by the Hanumantha Rao Committee Report are reproduced below: It was noted by the Committee that when the project was being implemented in the state sector, the Govt. Of UP had intended to provide employment to one member of each affected family, though very little was done in the direction by the State Project Authorities till the project works remained with them. The project including rehabilitation was transferred to THDC in 1989-90. It is recognized that the THDC does not have large scale employment opportunities, as its requirements are limited and mostly in the specialized categories. It is indicated by THDC that even after the project gets commissioned, the requirement of operational staff would be extremely limited. It has further been noted by the committee that as per policy of the THDC, preference in employment in available vacancies is given to the dependents of the displaced families subject to their meeting the laid down qualifications and experience requirements. Out of total 2170 persons, 1090 persons came from UPID/UPSEB. It was also observed by the committee that during the past few years
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THDC is giving employment as far as possible from the Tehri District in the Workmen & Supervisor category. The employment given during THDCS tenure is about 61% (table 2- 492 out of 801) from the Tehri District, besides about 125 from other Districts of Garhwal Region. The committee is of the view that the existing policy of giving preference in employment to the project affected persons, particularly in the category of workmen & supervisors may be continued. However, it has been felt that there are limits to giving preference in employment to the people from the other Districts of Garhwal Region, as the idea behind preference is to compensate the people who have got displaced or have been affected by the project. To mitigate the sentiments/ hardships of project affected people, efforts were made for recruitment of employees in workmen and supervisory category exclusively from the submergence area of Tehri Dam Project i.e. Doob Kshetra. Demands for more employment to persons belonging to project affected families were considered as far as possible in proper perspective. Lot of demands were made through agitations for seeking more and more employment. The scope for direct employment was limited and to the extent required, employment was provided to eligible persons from project affected families on preferential basis, subject to meeting eligibility requirements. Table 2: The area wise break-up of the employees in the THDC (As submitted to Hanumantha Rao Committee in the year 1997) Category of Submergence Other parts Other Other Total employees Area of Tehri Garhw Areas districts al district s Executive 24 15 34 209 282 Supervisor 63 76 29 85 253 Workmen 312 300 247 631 1490 including clerical staff, skilled and unskilled workers
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Deputationist s Total Recent offers issued Total

13 412 --464

23 414 --414

10 320 --320

45 970 02 972

91 2116 54 2170

During the visit of Hanumantha Rao Committee at the project site, a demand was raised by the project affected families that employment to one member from each affected family be provided by the corporation as per the orders of the Government of UP. The implication of the demand was extremely unrealistic as the man power position would have gone high, without requirement of the same. The Hanumantha Rao Committee examined various aspects of the orders of Government of UP for providing employment pressed by the Project Affected Families. The committee after having carefully considered the demand concluded that orders of the Government of UP were not applicable on the Tehri Project. The committee concluded The THDC Project was transferred from Government of UP to THDC as a Government of India and Government of UP Corporation in 1989. The government of UP orders do not impose categorically any obligation on the part of THDC to give employment to atleast one member each of the dispossessed family. Table 3 : Manpower on the project as on 01.01.2007 Category Executives Supervisors Workmen Total Total 631 265 1448 2344

Government of India considered the recommendations of Hanumantha Rao Committee and inter-alia decided following (a) The committee is of the view that the existing policy of giving preference in the employment to the project affected persons, particularly in the category of workmen & Supervisors may be continued. The Govt. Of Up orders do not impose categorically any
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obligation on the part of THDC to give employment to at least one member each of the dispossessed family. (b) Major contractors working at the project should be asked to employee a certain percentage of local persons in the category of unskilled workers, clerical staff & supervisors from the Tehri District if available. Few officers were debating as to why organizations have to work under such pressures. Others were thinking under the given circumstances what they did was that the best. Yet a few , were boating of those challenging situations and how they succeded and asked their team mates do they have another such example in the country?

Questions 1. Was HRP a routine process for THDCL? Do you agree or disagree why? 2. What was the biggest challenge and how was it addressed? 3. If such a situation was in a private sector, in your opinion how it would have been addressed? 4. What are the salient features of HRP at THDCL. What are the lessons drawn? 5. Merger and acquisition is the biggest challenge for HR, how? Elucidate another live example for any sector and discuss how HRP was handled at the time of merger and acquisition? How different was it from that at THDCL

Source: A.S. Bisht, V.S. Rawal, S.K. Sharma, HRM, Water and Energy International Special issue on Tehri Dam Project January- March 2007, Vol 64.No.1 p.51-53 Updated information from S. K Sharma.

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