This is in reference to News Item “Surplus at thermal plants, of Engineers’ appearing in HT & Punjabi Tribune on 10.9.07. The story is based on wrong data. It has been mentioned that against a combined sanctioned strength of 178 Assistant/Executive Engineers, at Ropar Thermal Plant 208 have been posted.
The reported communication of Secretary/Power addressed to Chief Minister Punjab and Chairman, PSEB appearing in section of the press advising imposition of power cuts in the state to save the Board from financial crisis, is similar to the suggestions given few days by his colleague bureaucrat posted in the Board.
The note of Secretary Power to Chief Minister Punjab appearing in section of the press shows total sack of understanding of the dynamic of power sector operations by the bureaucracy claming to be the ‘experts’ of all the jobs.
PSEB Engineers’ Association condemn the distortion of facts and figures by Member / Finance of the Board while projecting the deteriorating financial health of the board to the State Govt. as reported in a section of the press.
PSEB Engineers’ Association has termed the contention of the report submitted to the Chief Minister as misleading that the present financially distress of the PSEB is due to postponing of Power sector reforms through Unbundling and Corporatisation of PSEB by the state government. The present poor financial position of PSEB is directly due to the wrong and misplaced policies of the Board management and the successive state governments.
PSEB Engineers’ Association has termed the contention of the report submitted to the Chief Minister as misleading that the present financially distress of the PSEB is due to postponing of Power sector reforms through Unbundling and Corporatisation of PSEB by the state government. The present poor financial position of PSEB is directly due to the wrong and misplaced policies of the Board management and the successive state governments.
A delegation of PSEB Engineers’ Association met Chief Minister, Punjab and discussed various issues concerning power sector. It was brought to the notice of CM/Punjab that energy shortage during 2006-07 was 10.6% and with growth of energy consumption @ 8% it is necessary to add minimum 700 MW annually to tackle load growth. About 7400 MW capacity addition is required to fully meet the power demand in the next 5 years. However the capacity addition in next five years may not increase 2666 MW. Additional 1200 MW upto year 2012 can be generated if execution of Talwandi Sabo & Nabha Thermal projects are taken up immediately and atleast one plant is taken up departmentally. Association demanded that Shahpur kandi project be put under the overall control of PSEB