Sran vows to ‘power’ through
Bathinda: Baldev Singh, who is working as Deputy Chief Engineer at Guru Hargobind Thermal Plant Lehra Mohabbat, is the new PSEB association president. He was honoured by PSPCL for his excellent services on August 15, 2010. Baldev Singh thanked all the engineers for the faith reposed in him and said the PSEB Engineers’ association would continue its efforts for the progress of power sector in the Punjab so as to provide better quality power to consumers. “The construction of upcoming thermal plants in the private sector is running behind schedule and serious issues particularly those relating to availability of coal are bound to escalate the cost of power from these plants,” said Sran. The same hand, he claimed that sufficient coal was available to PSPCL from its own captive mines to set up and run new thermal plants under state sector with cheap domestic coal of good quality but the state government as well as the PSPCL management were least concerned to grab the opportunity to provide cheap power to the consumers of Punjab. He said to provide electricity at affordable rates and employment to Punjab youth, there was an urgent need to construct power plants under state sector in Punjab. Sran appealed to the chief minister of Punjab to direct the PSPCL management to immediately start the construction of 1320 MW thermal plant near Mukerian for which the approval had already been given by the Government.

Power engineers for state plant

Baldev Singh Sran
DP correspondent

Patiala

The newly elected executive body of the PSEB Engineers’ Association at its first meeting expressed deep concern at the dilly dallying approach of the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) management and the Punjab government in setting up 1320 MW thermal plant under state sector. Despite repeated assurances, no tangible steps have been initiated to prepare the blue print for setting up this plant.

An association spokesman here on Sunday said the association had unanimously elected Baldev Singh Sran and Sanjeev Sood as president and general secretary of the association.

HS Bedi, outgoing president, on his retirement has been made patron of the association. Bhupinder Singh and Rakesh Gupta were elected as senior vice-president and vice-president respectively.

The other office bearers include Surinder Lomba Secretary (Finance), Harjinder Bansal Organizing Secretary, SS Joshan Secretary (Publication), Bhushan Kumar Jindal, GD Sharma, Jasbir Singh Dhiman, Niranjan Singh, KG Sharma, Paramjit Singh as Joint Secretaries The executive committee of the association at its meeting noted that the construction of upcoming thermal plants in the private sector was running behind schedule and serious issues particularly those relating to availability of coal were bound to escalate the cost of power from these plants. On the other hand sufficient coal was available to the PSPCL from its own captive mines to set up and run new thermal plants under state sector with cheap domestic coal of good quality but the state government as well as the management were not concerned to grab this opportunity to provide cheap power to the consumers of Punjab. The meeting was decided to take up this issue immediately with the government.

The executive also resolved to take up the issue of stagnation prevailing in the engineering cadre with the managements of two companies.

For the last six months there have no promotion of engineers at the middle level and PSPCL management has created a mess by temporarily diverting various posts to carry out some urgent assignments ignoring the overall needs of the company. To implement Information technology project, management has taken out large number of officers from different wings without appreciating the need of those offices.

Association demanded that where ever required, new posts should be created and practice of diverting the posts be stopped.