Chaudhary is Powercom CMD
Umesh Dewan
Tribune News Service

Patiala, June 4
The Punjab Government has appointed KD Chaudhary as Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD) of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (Powercom) and Anurag Agarwal as CMD of Punjab State Transmission Corporation Limited (Transco). Orders in this regard were issued by the state government yesterday.

Besides, the government has also appointed directors of Powercom and Transco. No officer has so far been appointed for the post of Director (commercial), Powercom. Both Chaudhary and Agarwal took charge of their respective offices last evening.

Chaudhary had already been serving as member (Distribution) and Agarwal as member (Finance & Accounts) in the erstwhile PSEB. After its restructuring, these officials were inducted into the Interim Managing Committee as member/distribution and chairman, respectively. The earlier term of the managing committee was up to May 28, but was extended till June. After CM Parkash Singh Badal returned from the US, orders for new appointees were issued yesterday.

The following have been appointed Powercom officials - Subash Chander Arora, Director (Finance); Gurbachan Singh Bachi, Director (Administration); Arun Kumar Verma, Director (Distribution): Gurbachan Singh Chhabra, Director (Generation) (Powercom) and HC Seth, Director (Human Resources).

Meanwhile, Ravinder Singh has been appointed Director (Technical), Transco, and Uma Kant Panda, Director (Finance and Commercial).

“The recruitment process is fair, as all selections have been made after fixing criteria for qualifications and an adequate experience. Hundreds of applications were received of which eligible candidates were selected on the basis of merit. After the final approval of the CM, appointments were made,”reads a statement issued by the authorities of Powercom and Transco.

Of the above mentioned appointees, except two Directors, rest all are from the existing power utilities (Powercom and Transco). Seth has been taken from the Project Management Institute of National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) and Panda has been taken from Orissa. GS Chhabra had been serving as Chief Engineer (Operation and Maintenance), Guru Hargobind Thermal Plant, Lehra Mohabbat, but after the PSEB unbundling, he was inducted as member (Generation) into the managing committee.

While SC Arora had been working as Chief Cost Controller and Finance, Arun Kumar Verma and Ravinder Singh were working as Chief Engineers in the erstwhile PSEB.

Meanwhile, the PSEB Engineers’ Association has welcomed the appointment of CMDs and other directors.