Parity in pay scales
Power engineers’ demand hangs fire
Tribune News Service

Panipat, April 18
Despite repeated appeals to the state government for bringing about parity in pay scales of assistant engineers in the state, the demand of the power engineers still remains to be fulfilled.

The Haryana Power Engineers’ Association (HPEA), which has been raising the issue with the state government, has lamented that despite performing their duties well, the assistant engineers are still the lowest paid in the country.

RS Dahiya, president of the HPEA, stated that power utility engineers were getting higher pay scales than the state services engineers, as per the recommendations made in the Fifth Pay Commission report. But, this aspect had been completely ignored in deciding the pay scales of assistant engineers, who were getting their salary in a scale of Rs9300-34,500, with an initial salary of Rs12,090 with grade pay of Rs5,400.

Putting up a strong case for the assistant engineers, Dahiya said the assistant engineers of the state government were better placed, and getting an initial salary of Rs14,880 with grade pay of Rs5400.

In Punjab Powercom, assistant engineers were receiving an initial pay of Rs16,680, he said.

He also said that the starting pay of assistant engineers in UP was Rs17,740 with grade pay of Rs5,400, and in Delhi the initial pay of engineers was Rs19,000 with grade pay of Rs5,400.