“CM Sir please save us from PSPCL’s management anti power/engineer stance”-Power engineers
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in
A Zonal level meeting of PSEB Engineers’ Association held at Ludhiana wherein about 150 engineers participated. Engineers from Ludhiana, Khanna, Jagraon, Sahnewal participated in this Meeting. Engineers criticised PSPCL management and Punjab Government for failing to protect the interest of the common people of Punjab and the State power sector. Association informed that the wrong decisions being taken by the management will cost dearly to the consumers of Punjab in the form of higher electricity tariffs and unreliable power supply. The issue of power sector land grab worth 4000 cr was raised where land worth crores is being transferred to private players at Rs 1. It was highlighted by the speakers that PSPCL has submitted a plan to hire only 2632 employees but there are more than 20000 vacancies in the power sector while about 15000 employees have retired in last 5 years.
About, 1227 posts from Punjab cadre are lying vacant in BBMB which is a direct loss to Punjab not only in terms of finances but employment opportunities to the youth of the State as well. This is also leading to loss of Punjab influence in BBMB affairs as BBMB is filling vacancies from other states. Irony is that PSPCL is paying more than 250 Cr per annum for the salaries and employee expenses to BBMB for employees hired from other states.
Further, the management in the name of restructuring, is eliminating essential but vacant posts. Management is creating conditions where services to the consumers and thus the image of Punjab Government is taking a hit.
Er JS Dhiman, President of the Association informed that PSPCL is already under a debt of 15000 Cr but there is a move by the PSPCL management to hand over GNDTP Bathinda and Ropar Power colony land for free to private players. Alleging that a big land grabbing is going on in the power sector and the burden of this land grab will be borne by people of Punjab as higher tariff. Instead of reinvesting in the power sector, the expensive assets of PSPCL are being sacrificed by Management.
He further informed that the Punjab Government in their own wisdom decided to close down the running thermal plant at Bathinda with plenty of useful life still remaining, now there is a move to close down the thermal plant at Ropar, going against the guidelines of Central Electricity Regulatory Commission. He warned that closing the Ropar thermal would be a technical and financial blunder and Punjab will not be able to meet its power demand during the coming summer season and will result in Power Cuts in the State. Moreover the proposals of the power sector experts to establish additional Solar Plants under the State Sector at Bathinda and Ropar are being ignored by the Government. These proposals would help provide cheaper renewable electricity to the consumers of the State and would help in reducing the cost of electricity.
Members alleged that PSPCL Management is not only going against the interests of the power sector but has adopted an anti-engineer stance as well. Management has started issuing excessive charge sheets to DS engineers on flimsy grounds, irregular and delayed promotions even when sensitive posts are lying vacant lying vacant, denying vehicles to civil engineers, denial of IT facilities/ computers and at the same time deliberately pressurising engineers for arbitrary information’s, delay in granting start scale of 18030 to new engineers, denial of NPS of 14% to power sector employees and the most recent decision of giving an arbitrary extension of only 1 year to 4 no SE and 3 no XEN rank officers. PSPCL management has failed to protect its hard working engineers from harassment being faced daily by the engineers during theft checking drives. The dilly dally role of management in handling the recent incident at Bhagta was also condemned. Members condemned the anti-power sector and anti-engineer stance of Management.
Members appealed to CM to intervene and protect the State Power Sector. It was warned that if PSPCL management fails to protect the interest of the power sector then the Association will be forced to start a Statewide agitation.
March 5,2021
