GNDTP staff up in arms

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, December 11

Employees of the Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant (GNDTP) staged a protest from 2pm to 5 pm infront of the thermal plant gate here today.

Unhappy with Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) to shut down the GNDTP, the employees also took out a rally on the occasion.

Ashwani Kumar, president of the GNDTP Contractual Workers’ Union, said, “It is the strategy of the government to provide benefits to private plants. To implement its strategy, government-run thermal plants being shut down. These plants produce electricity at cheaper rates and the move is a ploy to loot consumers.”

Vijay Kumar, general secretary of the union, said, “The Congress government is following in the footsteps of the SAD-BJP government. It is also working to provide benefits to private plants by shutting down the GNDTP. The private plants produce electricity at high rates and Powercom is also buying electricity from them.”

Contractual workers said people supported the Congress with a hope that it would work for their welfare. They said the government is emulating the SAD-BJP government.

Vijay Kumar said, “Manpreet Badal had promised us before the elections that he wanted to see the plant working and it could not be shut down. Now, he is mum on the issue.”

Harwinder Singh, a union member, said they were also opposing the transfer of 28 workers. He said many families would find it difficult to make both ends meet due to the government’s move.

The employees also announced the stage a protest in front of the DC’s office on December 14. Ravinder Singh, Iqbal Singh, Jasveer Singh, Ramvarsh, Darshan Singh, Resham Singh and Gurmail Singh Sandhu were present on the occasion.