PSEB Engineers demand immediate filling of vacant posts
17-Mar-2010 : Vinod Kumar Gupta

Patiala: PSEB Engineers’ Association has demanded immediate filling of vacant engineers posts. Expressing deep anguish at the failure of the Board management to fill a fraction of the vacant posts , Bhupinder Singh General Secretary of Association has cautioned PSEB that the working of the organization would come to a standstill within next few months unless necessary steps are taken immediately to fill thevacant posts.

It may be mentioned that PSEB advertised the posts of 125 number Assistant Engineers, 225 posts of Junior Engineers and 200 posts of Sub-station Attendants in January 2009. The last date for receipt of applications was fixed as February 6 2009 but the date was extended six times without any valid reasons and ultimately exams were held on September .2009. But even after a lapse of over 6 months, letters of appointment have not been issued to successful candidates.

Now PSEB has started calling new candidates for verification of documents at this belated stage further delaying the process and also creating misgivings in the minds of the public.

It may be mentioned that due to ban on recruitments, over 18000 posts at various levels in PSEB are lying vacant. In the engineering cadre, more than 650 posts of SDOs are lying vacant . The important technical posts sanctioned to man the strategic locations at the thermal & Hydro generating stations are lyingvacant jeopardizing the smooth running of these plants.

Bhupinder Singh said that the Board is spending crores to build grid sub-stations but after commissioning, these grids are being manned by untrained junior level officials instead of trained sub-station operators, thereby jeopardizing the safety of costly substation equipments and also the personnel manning these grids.

The existing manpower is totally inadequate to carry out the business of the Board. Even the Consultants engaged by the Board to study staffing pattern have recommended staff strength far more than the existing strength.