BPOs get a shock as power cut off
By Rahul Kumar

Operations in two BPO companies in Central Plaza Mall in Gurgaon, North India have come to a standstill and their employees have been sent on compulsory leave for over a week as the local authorities have disconnected power supply to this mall on the pretext of non-compliance of environmental norms. One of the worst affected is the respected Flight Catchers.

The pollution control department has also sealed the diesel-run power generators that were being used as alternate source of power, plunging the mall into complete darkness. 

Others who are suffering include retailers, eateries, banks, ATM counters and MNCs. The affected BPOs include Flight Catchers and Datamatics, however the former is more affected as the main servers were installed in the Central Plaza Mall and the downing of these servers has also affected its UK operations. Even worst, the company was in the middle of acquiring ISO standard when the blackout struck this building.  Haryana Pollution Control Board (HPCB) officials said that they had disconnected power supply to the mall on November 11 as the developer company of the mall had failed to acquire mandatory no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Board.

Nor did the mall authorities make the sewerage treatment plant (STP) operational in the mall that has a number of restaurants producing liquid effluents which are being thrown out untreated. Besides others, the work in these two BPOs too has come to a total halt and the employees have been sent on compulsory leave. Following a row between the developer of the mall and mall occupants association, the former has deployed goons to threaten the mall occupants including the employees. The BPO company officials claimed that some of their employees have tendered their resignations after they were threatened by the stand over men.  According to Flight Catchers officials, besides the huge sum of revenue that the BPO was loosing on daily basis, it was also facing an ultimatum of November 20, by which if it failed to resume its operation, it could be stripped of the account and may have to close its operations permanently.

Another BPO, Datamatics that was engaged in US-based process related to software sales is also forced to shut its shop for now due to the lack of power. Nor can these companies run their own power generators as the Pollution Department have already banned such alternative sources of power.  However, the mall developer company Senior Builders claimed that it had complied with all the necessary environmental conditions. They said that it was the responsibility of the restaurant owners to set up and operate the sewerage treatment plant (STP).