Power corp accepts employees’ demands
Joint forum withdraws agitation
Umesh Dewan
Tribune News Service

Patiala, January 5
Buckling under pressure from thousands of non-gazetted employees working in the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) and Punjab State Transmission Corporation Limited (PSTCL), year-long pending demands of the employees have finally been accepted by the power corporation. Besides increasing the Grade Pay, the power corporation has also doubled the allowances of the employees. Written orders accepting various demands of the employees have been issued by the PSPCL management yesterday, after two dozen employees union leaders held a meeting with the top brass pf the PSPCL.

Elated over the acceptance of their demands, the leaders of the Employees Joint Forum, a conglomerate of several employees unions, announced withdrawal of all their proposed agitations and strike calls. As per the orders issued by the PSPCL management, a copy of which is with The Tribune, the Grade Pay of the employees has been enhanced by Rs 150 with effect from January 1, 2006. “This benefit will not be admissible to the employees to be recruited henceforth,” reads the orders.

“We were demanding that as per the recommendations of the Wage Formulation Committee, the rate of increment should be increased from 3 to 3.5 per cent but now the PSPCL management has compensated us by increasing the grade pay by Rs 150,” said Employees Joint Forum leaders Surinder Pehalwan and Karamchand Bhardwaj.

The PSPCL management has also doubled the rate of Risk Duty Allowance from Rs 100 per month to Rs 200 per month to the linemen and from Rs 50 per month to Rs 100 to Assistant Linemen, with immediate effect.

“Likewise the rate of Shift Duty Allowance has been increased from Rs 100 per month to Rs 200 per month to the sub-station attendants, working in three shifts round the clock with immediate effect,” the orders mentioned.

The PSPCL has also increased the rate of Special Allowance from Rs 125 per month to Rs 250 per month to Additional Assistant Engineers (JE-I) and Junior Engineers (including (JEs installation) working in Operation Division and Operation Construction Division with immediate effect.

Besides, the rate of Special Allowance/Ledger Keeping Allowance/Type Writing Allowance, admissible to all lower division clerks, except those working as cashiers has been increased from Rs 100 per month to Rs 200 per month with immediate effect. The workshop allowance, protection allowance and hot line allowance have also been increased.

The PSPCL management has also doubled the rate of Local Out Door Duty Allowance (LODA) and Local Official Touring Allowance (LOTA), pertaining to various categories of employees, with immediate effect.