Management trying to prop up rival group: PSEBEA

Tribune News Service

Patiala, May 23

The PSEB Engineers Association has deplored what it called was the “unethical and biased” role of the PSPCL CMD in propelling the Punjab Power Engineers Association (PPEA), which it alleged has been formed with the support of the management.

In a statement issued here today, the Association urged the PSPCL management to refrain from interfering in the affairs of the PSEBEA and resolve the pending issues of engineers, lest it creates industrial unrest at a time when sowing of paddy is to begin in the state.

Baldev Singh Sran, president of the association, said the executive committee meeting will be convened soon to chalk out the further course of action.

The Association alleged that the group was earlier recognised by the management as the UFPE (United Front of Power Engineers) and when its legitimacy was challenged, it ceased its operations and renamed itself as the PPEA.

The PSEBEA has accused the management of nominating representatives of the group in various departmental committees to give them extra-official powers so that they can coerce fellow engineers to support the PPEA.

The Association also accused the CMD of victimising the office-bearers so as to replace the PSEBEA frontline leadership with own men.

Baldev Singh of the PSEBEA.said the Association was thankful to the Chief Minister, Punjab, on whose intervention the victimisation of engineers was stopped by the management. He went on to accuse the management of not giving the rightful pay to the assistant engineers like in the case of other categories of employees. 

The Punjab Power Engineers’ Association has refuted the charge of Baldev Singh Sran, president of the PSEB Engineers’ Association that the PSPCL management was responsible for the split in the engineers’ body. In fact, the working style of the leadership of the PSEBEA in the past two years caused huge disillusionment and frustration in the cadre of engineers which forced them to organise themselves under a 

separate banner for redressal of their demands and welfare of the power 

sector of Punjab.

Abhiraj S Randhawa, secretary of the PPEA, said the trade union survey being carried out by the PSPCL was on the instructions of the Punjab Government to ascertain the membership of the trade unions or associations.

“Sran and his coterie had hobnobbed with the bureaucracy during elections and had tarnished the image of technocrat management, thereby dealt a severe blow to the concept of professionalisation of management of the power sector of Punjab,” they said in a statement.