Power engineers seek CM's intervention
Tribune News Service

Panipat, July 18
The Haryana Power Engineers Association has sought the intervention of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda in resolving their long pending issues. They have alleged that the management of the power utilities had paid no heed to their demands.

Shailendra Dubey, secretary general of the association, said the association had written to the Chief Minister lamenting that despite repeated requests their demands had not been accepted which had caused widespread resentment among the power engineers across the state.

The engineers' body already served a 45-day notice on June 24 on the authorities to fulfill their demands or face statewide protests. They had been demanding parity in the pay scales of assistant engineers (AE) working in discoms and that of the state engineers. Though the Haryana Power Generation Corporation Limited (HPGCL) has granted a pay scale of Rs 14,880 to the AEs, the other three utilities have so far denied the same scale to the AEs.

The association has been maintaining that the AEs of the neighbouring states were better placed in terms of pay scales as they drew initial salary of Rs 14,880 with grade pay of Rs 5,400, which was not the case in Haryana.

Dubey said an AE with 11 years of service was getting the pay scale of 15600-39100 with 6400 grade pay which was less than the salary of an accounts officer with the same experience.

Besides, the engineers are also demanding restructuring of discoms which is due for the past decade. He said the number of consumers had increased manifold and there was a dire need to create new divisions, circles and zones to maintain better consumer service. Many posts of directors in discoms were lying vacant which should also be filled, he said.

In the letter sent to the Chief Minister, the association stated that it had been resolved to launch an agitation in case their demands were not fulfilled.

The secretary general said the AIPEF had requests Hooda to use his office so that their issues were resolved and a confrontation was avoided.