Power board staff protest against retrenchment

Employees of the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited (HPSEBL) staged a massive protest at Gandhi Chowk, demanding the restoration of abolished posts and the reinstatement of retrenched employees. Lokesh Thakur, convener of the Joint Front of HPSEBL Employee Associations, addressed the gathering, stating that the employees would not allow the government or board management to jeopardise their interests.

He highlighted that 51 posts had been abolished and several employees were retrenched, calling for immediate revocation of these decisions. Thakur criticised the government and board management for ignoring the employees’ protests since February 6 and warned that agitation would intensify if their demands remained unmet.

DS Dhatwalia, president of the HPSEB Employees Welfare Association, voiced concerns about pensioners struggling to receive their rightful benefits. He condemned the management for making retired employees fight for their legitimate dues, calling it highly unjust.

Kuldeep Singh Kharwara, vice-president of the Joint Front, accused the government of a discriminatory approach towards HPSEBL employees. He pointed out that while the old pension scheme had been implemented across other departments, boards and corporations, HPSEBL employees were unfairly excluded. He demanded adherence to the 2016 agreement between the board and employee unions, rejecting any unilateral changes.

Kharwara also criticised the management for not addressing staff shortages, suspecting a deliberate move to privatise board resources. He refuted claims that the board was in financial distress, blaming government policies such as free power distribution for its losses.

The protest saw participation from employees across all HPSEBL wings, with workers vowing to continue their struggle until their demands were met.