PSEB Engineers to go strike on November 17
Yogindra Mohan

Patiala

The PSEB Engineers Association has served a ten-day notice to the management to start agitation from November 17 due to non-implementation of the decisions taken during a meeting held with the chief minister. General Secretary Bhupinder Singh of the association here on Saturday, said the engineers of both the power companies will stage “two hour walk out” on November 17 to be followed by work to rule from November 21 to 26.

The state-level dharna will be held at Patiala on November 22. In case all pending issues are not settled, all power engineers will proceed on one day mass casual leave on November 30. The association has alleged that while giving in-principle approval for setting up of thermal project under state sector by the chief minister, it was assured that formal letter of approval will be issued by the state government to the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL). The PSPCL management took a decision to set up 1320 MW thermal project under state sector and sought Punjab government’’s approval in April 2011. The formal approval is awaited for the last more than seven months and now despite the Chief Minister’’s nod for the project; no action is being taken to accord formal written approval on the request of the PSPCL. On the other hand, the proposals of private investors for setting up thermal projects are dealt with supersonic speed both in power secretariat as well as in the PSPCL. Bhupinder Singh said regarding grant promotional scales, it was promised by the CMD of the PSPCL that necessary notification will be issued by October 31. It was also assured that employees provident fund trust will be operationalised by October 28 by putting in initial amount of Rs 250 crore in the fund. However, no action has been taken on both demands. Similarly, no decision on other issues, which were promised to be settled, including revision of generation incentive, revision of local outdoor duty allowance, transfer of 66 KV system to the PSPCL, and recruitment of assistant engineers have been taken so far.