Published on Nov 29 2011,Page 1
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360 caught in power companies turf war
Vishal Rambani [email protected]
PATIALA:

PSTCL HAS RELIEVED EMPLOYEES, PSPCL IS REFUSING TO ABSORB THEM; CHAIRMEN NOT HELPING MATTERS

More than 360 former employees of the Punjab State Transmission Corporation Limited (PSTCL) have been caught in the middle of a dispute between the PSTCL and the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL).
The chairmen of PSTCL and PSPCL (both entities of the now defunct Punjab State Electricity Board) are at loggerheads following the Punjab government's order to transfer 66 KV works to the PSPCL.

While the PSTCL has relieved these employees, the PSPCL has refused to absorb them, with the two chairmen sending official communiqués

to each other instead of resolving the issue.
The list of employees who have been left with nowhere to go for more than a week includes a chief engineer, six deputy chief engineers, 13 additional superintending engineers and two sub-divisional officers.

Punjab's power secretary has summoned the chairmen-cummanaging directors of both power corporations on Tuesday to thrash out a solution.

The differences have hampered the work of installation of nearly three dozen new 66 KV sub-stations, which the Akali-BJP government was planning to inaugurate before the 2012 assembly elections.
Though the dispute of transfer of 66 KV works is almost a year-and-a-half old, the current crisis arose on November 9 when the government, conceding the demand of the PSPCL, asked the PSTCL to transfer all works (construction, urgradation and transmission) of 66 KV substations to the PSPCL.

With the PSTCL objecting to the move, its miffed chairman Anurag Aggarwal on November 15 passed orders to relieve 361 employees and transfer all works with immediate effect.

But the PSPCL was reportedly unprepared to take the new employees on such a short notice.
“It's a matter between the two corporations. We don't know what is happening but we are caught in between,“ said a transferred official, requesting anonymity.

“We want a smooth succession, not a hasty one as PSTCL wants,“ said PSPCL chairman KD Chaudhry.

“We have not counted any materials, logistics and not taken possession of any material, so how can we take charge of these under-construction subsatiations?“ He said the PSTCL should complete the ongoing works.

“The orders of transfer of charges/manpower will be held at abeyance till the same is mutually consented between both power corporations,“ Chaudhary wrote in a communiqué to Aggarwal.
While Aggarwal could not be contacted, PSTCL director (transmission) Ravinder Singh said: “We won't take employees back. They are no more a part of our organisation, as following the government's order the work of 66 KV is shifted to PSPCL. We can't go against the government's decision by taking them back.“ He said the PSTCL chairman had already responded to the PSPCL saying taking back the employees was not an option.

“It is the PSPCL which is creating the confusion. First,

they keep on writing us for two years that they want 66 KV works. And following the government's decision, now that we have shifted these works and workforce to them, they don't want it,“ he said. “I don't know what they want.“ He said instead of wasting time on sending letters, the PSPCL should start the work on ongoing projects so that they can be completed well in time.
Punjab power secretary Anirudh Tiwari said all issues would be resolved after Tuesday's meeting.

“Every transition has some problems and if there is some confusion in issues related to this transition, it would be sorted out and all employees would be adjusted amicably,“ he said.