Delay in Pay Revision
PSEB staff not to celebrate Diwali
Tribune News service

Patiala, October 12
The coordination committee of different associations of employees of the Punjab State Electricity Board has decided not to celebrate Diwali this year. The step aims at conveying resentment prevailing among employees and officers of the board due to non- revision of pay scales.

A spokesman of the coordination committee here today said the pay revision of board employees and officers had become a victim of the proxy war going on between the state authorities and the board management for the past sometime.

The recommendations of the wage formulation committee were put up before the board for decision on September 18, but no decision could be taken as the state government nominee stressed that the board should first obtain approval from the government knowing fully well that the board has been empowered under Section 79 C of the Electricity Supply Act, 1948, to formulate pay scales and allowances of its employees.

The issue was again raised in 2006, but upon reference to the state government, it was decided at the level of the Chief Minister that the board could decide the pay scales and allowances of its employees at its own level. Despite all these facts available on record, the board management referred the matter to the state government for decision, thus delaying the pay revision of board employees.

Coordination committee leaders, including HS Bedi, Pal Singh Moga, Karam Chand Bhardwaj and others, said during a meeting held between the PSEB Engineers Association and the Chief Minister on October 2, the proposal of the state government to refer the issue to a committee of officers headed by the Chief Secretary, Punjab, was shelved after discussions and instead the Chief Minister directed the Principal Secretary (Finance) to sort out the issue within a week.

The coordination committee said it was distressing that the benefit of revised scales had already been extended to Central and state governments and power board employees of other states whereas PSEB employees and officers were being denied their legitimate right of revised pay scales from January 1, 2006.

The committee has decided that all officers and employees will wear black badges as a mark of protest on October 14 and hold rallies from 9 am to 10 am at subdivision level. Joint rallies of employees, supervisors and officers would be held at zonal headquarters from 1 pm to 2 pm to convey resentment prevailing among employees and officers of the board.