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PSEB engineers protest against lopsided policies of Punjab Government
Vinod Kumar Gupta, 04-May-2011 08:08:12 AM

Wednesday May 4 2011

Patiala

PSEB engineers throughout the State lodged its protest against the lopsided policies of the state government by bearing BLACK BADGES.

PSEB Engineers Association is protesting against state governments decision to permanently stop regular recruitment's and to carry out all future recruitment of all categories including engineers/doctors on contract basis only. The contract engineers would be paid fixed salary without any allowances.

HS Bedi President of association said that the business requirements of power companies are entirely different and requires highly trained and qualified engineering cadre especially when the sector is witnessing tremendous changes. The future managers need to be highly trained and motivated for which recruitment on contract basis in the executive cadre will not only be against the long term interest of the power sector as the companies will not be able to recruit the best talent from the market.

Association also criticized the state government for not fulfilling its written commitment that the "Tripartite Agreement" signed between the state government, managements of two power companies and all employees/officers Association after unbundling of PSEB, will be notified without which the agreement has no legal sanctity. The agreement provided that state government shall ensure that separate Provident & Superannuation funds are created with initial contribution by PSPCL but the same has not been done by PSPCL till date.. Moreover, employees' monthly deductions from salary towards GPF are not being credited to the statutory fund and PSPCL is continuing its past practice of utilizing this amount for their route business thus violating not only the tripartite agreement but also provisions of company law.

Bedi said that the Association strongly condemned the state government for handing over all its future generation to private sector and abrogating its responsibility to set up generating plant under state sector to provide affordable power to its consumers. The association alleged that most of these new plants are being handed over to private companies through a non transparent MOU route which will increase the cost of power and energy bills of the consumers. In a detailed study carried out by Central Electricity Regulatory Commission, it has been established that power from plants set up under MOU route is costlier than plants set up under state sector or awarded through transparent competitive route. However, Punjab Government is still pursuing its policy to award new plants on MOU route for the reason best known to the policy makers.

The association has threatened to intensify agitation after May 20 by holding Protest Marches in Punjab The association has requested Chief Minister, Punjab to intervene and immediately withdraw the notification on contract recruitment, get the tripartite agreement notified and announce setting up of 1320 MW thermal plant under state sector.