PSEB engineers’s body writes to CM, demands inquiry into ‘party fund’ demand

The PSEB Engineers’ Association has demanded a judicial inquiry into the “party fund” incident.

The association said interference in the working of the Punjab power sector and the demand for “party fund” by politicians is not acceptable.

Ajaypal Singh Atwal, general secretary, has written a letter to the Chief Minister, saying some political figures in the region are misusing their influence to interfere in the functioning of power corporations and demanding money in the name of party funds.

“A shocking incident has come to notice where an upright engineer in Hoshiarpur was being coerced into paying a so-called "party fund".

The vigilance bureau had recently arrested the Hoshiarpur PSPCL deputy chief engineer and a lineman for accepting a bribe of Rs 50,000. The complainant had said that the deputy chief engineer demanded Rs 50,000 in the name of party fund. The vigilance department is investigating the incident,” says the letter.

“This blatant demand for a "party fund" from power engineers is a new low. Such coercion not only violates ethical and legal norms but also creates a dangerous precedent where upright officers are punished for their honesty while corruption is being encouraged. If such malpractices continue unchecked, they will lead to anarchy in the power sector,” reads the letter.

“Instead of supporting engineers in improving Punjab’s power infrastructure, a few are trying to control engineers through fear, intimidation, transfers, and now extortion,” claimed the Association.

“Forcing engineers to engage in unethical practices is unacceptable. Given the gravity of the situation, the Association urges the CM to treat the matter with the utmost urgency and take decisive action,” said Atwal.