HPSEB employees’ JAC holds panchayat in Chamba

The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Himachal Pradesh Electricity Board (HPSEB) employees, engineers, and pensioners organised a district-level electricity panchayat in Chamba on Friday, pressing for their long-pending demands.

Hundreds of employees, engineers, and pensioners from the district participated in the gathering. The protest, which has been ongoing since February 6, has previously seen similar district-level panchayats in Hamirpur on February 11 and in Una on February 18.

The JAC leaders strongly opposed the dismissal of employee leader Nitish Kumar and demanded his immediate reinstatement.

Expressing deep concern over workplace accidents in the electricity board, the JAC members highlighted the recent deaths of three employees, attributing these tragic incidents to severe staff shortages. They pointed out that in the last two years, 35 electricity workers had lost their lives while on duty, yet the government continued to deny them the benefits of the old pension scheme.

Speaking at the event, JAC convenor Hira Lal called upon the government and management to engage in immediate discussions with the committee to resolve the prevailing issues. He warned that if their concerns were not addressed, the committee would be forced to take more decisive action. A formal notice regarding this had already been issued to the management.

Following the panchayat, a protest rally was taken out, culminating in the submission of a memorandum to the district magistrate for the chief minister. The JAC declared that if their demands were not met in a timely manner, the next district-level panchayat would be held in Bilaspur later this month.

The JAC’s primary demands include the reinstatement of dismissed employee leader Nitish Kumar, an immediate halt to unilateral downsizing and rationalisation of positions in the electricity board, and the restoration of 51 recently abolished positions. The committee also demanded the implementation of the old pension scheme for employees recruited after May 2003 and the immediate disbursement of pending pension dues, leave encashment, and gratuity for retirees.

Another key demand was the formulation of a permanent policy for outsourced employees and the reinstatement of 81 outsourced drivers who were recently laid off. The JAC members also insisted on strict adherence to the bilateral agreements signed between the government and the state electricity board employees’ and engineers’ unions. They demanded that no board assets be transferred without consultation. Additionally, the members opposed the outsourcing of operations and maintenance of substations and powerhouses, calling for an end to this practice.

In addition to their primary demands, the JAC members passed resolutions, emphasising worker safety, stating that no electricity worker would attend complaints alone. They also extended their support to the ongoing protests of revenue department employees and transport workers.