As govt eyes prime power corp properties, unions up in arms

Power engineers and other employees are up in arms against the recent Punjab Government move to appoint non-technical persons above chief engineers to “pave the way for the smooth” sale and lease of properties worth hundreds of crores owned by cash-strapped Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) and Punjab State Transmission Corporation Limited (PSTCL).

The government, however, claims that only “useless” properties will be used and funds will stay with the PSPCL

Sources say that as soon as the word was out that chief engineers will now report to two non-technical persons in two districts of Ludhiana and Mohali, who have been posted recently, various unions decided to protest the move.

A joint meeting of the PSPCL/PSTCL associations was also held which was attended by leaders of the PSEB Engineers Association, PSEB Joint Forum, Association of Junior Engineers, Technical Services Union, Technical Services Union (Sangharsh Front), Council of Junior Engineers, Ministerial Services Union, PSEB Employees Federation (AITUC) and leader of various other organisations.

“In case the Punjab Government and PSPCL/PSTCL management takes any step taken to cause harm to departments’ properties and assets, posting of non-technical persons above Chief Engineer in the guise of ‘mission zero outage’ protests and complete strike will be held without notice,” said a top PSPCL functionary, who attended the meeting. “If the government is short of funds due to its follies, power corporation properties cannot be misused to pay for it,” he added.

The association and unions discussed the government and management move to sell or lease valuable lands and assets of the department. “Prime properties located in major circles of Punjab such as Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Mohali etc where our power houses, offices, stores are situated and some vacant lands that could otherwise be used for the department’s future growth are likely to be sold as these are worth crores,” said another official, privy to the matter.

“The proposed actions could endanger the very existence of PSPCL/PSTCL and employees will oppose it in full strength. Moreover, the PSPCL management is planning to use the existing PSPCL guest house, located in Sarabha Nagar, Ludhiana, after renovation by the government for their private interests,” they said.

Speaking to The Tribune, Punjab Power Minister Sanjeev Arora said properties lying useless would be sold and the money would only come to the PSPCL/PSTCL. “There is no point in guarding properties which are of no use and, thus, it is better to sell these and make their use,” he said.

On non-technical persons deputed above chief engineers to check power outage schedules, the minister said he would check the details about it.

Meanwhile, various unions demanded that due to severe shortage of staff in the PSPCL/PSTCL, employees and officials of the department were facing countless difficulties in delivering timely public services. It was demanded that the government and management should recruit the required staff so that better facilities could be provided to the public instead of selling departmental lands and weakening the department by posting non-technical persons above chief engineers.