GPL’s CEO overturns decision of deputy to send home two managers

Aug 09, 2015 News

A decision to send home two senior managers of the Guyana Power and Light Inc. on Friday has been overturned by Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Bharat Dindyal.
Deputy CEO (Technical), Colin Welch, according to staffers, arrived at GPL’s Loss Reduction offices on Sheriff Street late Friday as the doors were about to close for the day.
He was in the company of police ranks.
He reportedly served Senior Loss Reduction Manager, Loaknauth Singh, and Senior Investigator David Kaladin with letters ordering them to proceed on administrative leave as there was an ongoing investigation involving wrongdoings.
The embarrassed Managers, according to angry staffers, called Dindyal who turned up shortly after at the office.
Dindyal reportedly told the staffers that the letter had no value and that they should stay put.
Speaking with Kaieteur News on Friday, the GPL boss said Welch breached procedures and had no authority to issue letters to staffers, sending them home.
He indicated that Welch had also overstepped his authority when over a week ago, he sent home Phyalyanjee Nandkumar, a Manager at the Berbice office.

GPL’s CEO, Bharat Dindyal

Under regulations of GPL, it is the Human Resources Director or the CEO who is authorized to send staffers off, once the proper procedures have been followed.
There have been allegations against staffers, Dindyal said, but there are procedures that are established to handle these.
He said that recently, due to complaints made, a special committee was appointed to look into the allegations.
The three-man team started work on Thursday and was mandated to submit a report to the Board of Directors within 21 days.
The CEO made it clear that Welch was aware that he has to submit all details he has to the Human Resources Department from where it will be pursued.
For Welch to take it upon himself to issue letters to staffers sending them on administrative leave was definitely out of his remit.
“There was absolutely no authority on his part and I revoked those letters to the two Managers,” the GPL CEO stated.