5-hr road blockade by PSPCL workers hassles commuters

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, August 6

Contractual employees of PSPCL staged a massive protest today, blocking the Khalsa College road in a bid to press the power department to address their concerns.

The protest was held in the wake of the death of three Jalandhar Circle employees — Sunny Kumar, Sanjeev Kumar and Lakhvir Singh — who were electrocuted while on duty in the past 10 days.

They demanded a compensation for the deceased. They also demanded a job for one family member of each deceased worker to ensure their financial stability.

Joined by the families of the deceased, the contractual employees blocked a major portion of the road for nearly five hours, causing major traffic disruptions across the city.

The police were forced to implement immediate diversions, leading to severe congestion on key routes, including Ladowali Road, as buses to Ludhiana and Delhi were diverted through this route via BMC Chowk. Traffic jams were also visible near Guru Nanak Mission Chowk, Nakodar Chowk and Company Bagh Chowk.

Inderjeet Singh, one of the employees, expressed resentment over the department’s inaction. He said this protest had been staged with the sole motive to push for the improved safety measures and better working conditions within the PSPCL. The protest, meanwhile, concluded in the afternoon after senior police officials assured the demonstrators that a meeting with the DC, Jalandhar, and the ADC had been scheduled for the following day.