Powercom staff seek 2-month salary

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, December 3

Members of the PSEB Employees’ Joint Forum staged a protest against the Powercom Department and the state government over payment of their salaries. The protesters raised slogans against the government and threatened to intensify their stir in the coming weeks. The employees continued their protest on the second day outside the Powercom office in Sirki Bazaar here on Tuesday.

Ram Lal, president of the union, said, “Despite assurances given by Powercom officials to resolve our pending problems on day one of the protest, nothing concrete has been done by the latter so we have decided to continue our agitation.”

He added, “The employees have not got their salaries for the past two months. Even dearness allowance of 23 months is pending. The department and the state government had deliberately stopped the salaries of the employees.”

The protesters said the recommendations of the sixth pay commission were also not implemented and demanded that benefits under it must be given to the employees on an immediate basis. The protesters said Haryana and Rajasthan have implemented the seventh pay commission report. The Powercom employees threatened an agitation against the state government at a mass level in the coming days if their demands were not met.

Pensioners hold protest  

Demanding the release of pension, members of the PSPCL Pensioners’ Association staged a protest in front of the Powercom office in Thermal Colony here on Tuesday. The protesters raised slogans against Powercom officials and demanded that the recommendations of the 6th pay commission must be implemented on a priority basis.

Sukhdev Singh, president of the association, said, “The state government and Powercom officials have deliberately withheld the pension of former employees. It is ironical that the government adopts double standard while transferring benefits to its employees as no legislator or bureaucrat ever faces the same problems.”

“We demand that benefits of the 6th pay commission must be given to the retired Powercom employees. Besides, all outstanding dues of DA must be cleared. We must also get concessions on power consumption,” he added.