Protest erupts over transfer of official who flagged power theft cases in Jind

The Haryana Power Engineering Association (HPEA) has warned the government and the management of Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) that it will intensify its agitation in support of its demands, including the cancellation of the transfer of a Subdivisional Officer.

An SDO of the Nigam, Jojo Taneja, was reportedly transferred under undue pressure after he detected the cases of power theft some days back.

The Haryana Power Engineering Association (HPEA) announced that it will intensify its agitation, as it has been holding a peaceful protest against the alleged arbitrary transfer of SDO Uchana in Jind district, Jojo Taneja. The association also raised the demand for the safety of officers, along with arrests in connection with the Dadri incident, in which an engineer of the Nigam was recently issued threats for detecting power theft.

The HPEA submitted a memorandum to the chief engineer (HR and Administration) of Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) regarding these demands recently.

The memorandum stated that if the transfer of SDO Jojo Taneja was not revoked, a dharna would continue at various places. The association said that the management of DHBVN was not willing to address the issues being faced by engineers while performing their official duties. “Instead, it is penalising officers who actively carry out their responsibilities, which is both insulting and demoralising for engineers,” the association alleged, adding that DHBVN authorities were taking disciplinary action against engineers even on minor issues.

Senior vice president Baljit Beniwal, vice presidents Sudeep Bamal, Rahul Mahla, Vijender Lamba, Hoshiar Singh Jakhar, Satish, Ravinder Kaliramana, Ram Katara, Amandeep, Sumit Sinwar, Rajesh Ninania, Kuldeep Mor, Jojo Taneja, and other engineers were present during the protest. The association unanimously decided to intensify the protest at the state level from today. It also warned that if necessary, engineers may be asked to stop work related to detecting power theft, which could impact the state’s revenue, along with other steps to express their resentment.