5 SDOs dismissed, 6 demoted; power engineers protest

Tribune News Service

Kurukshetra, November 15

Power engineers under the banner of the Haryana Power Engineers’ Association (HPEA) Association held a gate meeting in Kurukshetra and Ambala on Friday in protest against the dismissal and demotion of Sub-divisional Magistrates (SDOs) working in the Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) and Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam (HVPN).

Association general secretary KK Malik addressed the protest meetings at both places. He said the power utility management had dismissed five SDOs and demoted six to the post of Junior Engineer, who failed to pass departmental accounts examination in time.

Besides, notices have been issued to 12 SDOs of the HVPN and Haryana Power Generation Corporation Limited as they have also failed to clear the examination.

The zonal body meetings condemned the “autocratic” decision of the management and demanded its revocation. “The engineers must be given one more chance to clear the accounts exam as core competency expected from an engineer is engineering, and not accounting,” a power engineer said.

The association demanded withdrawal of the amendment made to the basic service regulation on the issue. The engineers who have crossed the age of 50 should be exempted from the examination.

Malik said, “The association has written to the management of power utilities, seeking a meeting to resolve the matter. But no reply has been received so far. On Friday, the association wrote to the Chief Minister and his deputy, requesting them to intervene in the matter.”