POWERCOM - Panel to go into employee concerns
PATIALA:

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, who met with a delegation of PSEB Engineers' Association on Sunday, has formed a committee to look into pending issues under the tripartite agreement and revision of scales of Powercom and Transco employees in wake of unbundling of Punjab State Electricity Board.

Badal has asked the committee, which will be headed by the Chief Secretary and have as its members Principal Secretary (Finance), Principal Secretary (Power), CMDs Powercom and Transco, to resolve all pending issues within a month. The above officials were present in the meeting.

Earlier, Association president H.S. Bedi told the CM that the tripartite agreement and other promises made post the April 16 unbundling have not been fulfilled.

The engineers demanded that the 2,640 MW Gidderbaha thermal power project be undertaken by the government as all three other thermal projects have been awarded to private players. The state generates 50 per cent of its present power demand and with the commissioning of all thermal projects in the private sector, it's share would go down to 20 per cent, which would get in the way of its ability to regulate in its interest, said engineers.

They said the Power Finance Corporation has agreed to finance the project without a guarantee from the state government and that Powercom has the technical capability to build the project on its own.

The engineers said in the interest of smooth working of the power sector and efficient consumer service, Powercom must have control and ownership of 66 KV grids and lines .