Ignoring youth, PSEB to rehire retired officials
Varinder Singh
Tribune News Service

Patiala, July 18
While more than 20,000 young and fully qualified technicians have been running from pillar to post to attain employment in Punjab, the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) has decided to go ahead with recruitment of more than 400 sub-station attendants (SSAs) and sub-station officers (SSOs). The move could boomerang as young technicians were contemplating to oppose the move tooth and nail.

The PSEB to re-employ from amongst those retired PSEB officials who were between the age bracket of 58-61 years on the basis of their “experience”. The board has asked all such “eligible persons” to apply by August 15. An SSO will get a monthly salary of Rs 7,000 and an SSA will be given a fixed monthly salary of Rs 5,000.

If this was not enough, the board plans to run certain of its grids with the help of these retired officials on the plea that such people are “armed with a lot of experience”. The move, insiders say, was PSEB’s bid to win over certain quarters of employees or their unions.

On the other hand, statistics pertaining to qualified and yet unemployed youngsters armed with diplomas from state’s ITIs paints a very gloomy picture, particularly, as the PSEB has not gone in for any recruitments since 1997. “More than 4,500 such qualified electricians and linemen are coming out straight on the road as there are no employment avenues for them in absence of any recruitment on the part of the PSEB since 1997,” revealed a PSEB official requesting anonymity.

These unemployed technicians had already held demonstrations following which they were assured by the SAD-BJP leaders that they would be given employment but nothing has happended in this direction so far. “In such situation, the recruitment of old and retired officials will add salt to the injuries of harried unemployed youngsters,” rued Sunil, an unemployed diploma holder