PSEB tech staff put on poll duty
Dharmendra Joshi
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, April 15
Technical employees of the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) have been put on poll duty in some parts of the state for the Lok Sabha elections, contrary to directions of Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Kusumjit Kaur Sidhu.

Sources said 20 additional assistant engineers (AAEs), 30 junior engineers (JEs) and additional junior engineers (AJEs) have been put on poll duty for the Jalandhar (SC) constituency.

These AAEs, JEs and AJEs have been told to be present for poll rehearsal on April 23 and 24.

They have been put on poll duty against the CEO’s directions. In a letter (2009/M 467-88) to all district returning officers (DROs), Punjab CEO Kusumjit Kaur Sidhu forbade putting technical PSEB staff on poll duty. However, there is no bar on putting other PSEB staff on poll duty.

President, Council of Junior Engineers PSEB North Zone, Jalandhar, RK Chaudhary and secretary Jaswant Rai said they had brought the matter to the notice of PSEB Chief Engineer, Jalandhar Zone, PS Deol and DC-cum-DRO Ajit Singh Pannu on Wednesday.

Chaudhary said the council had requested the DRO to exempt AAEs, JEs and AJEs from poll duty as per the CEO’s directions.

DC-cum-DRO Ajit Singh Pannu said the technical staff were engaged for poll duty with the consent of PSEB authorities. Those technical PSEB men were engaged for poll duty who usually did not do operational work, he added.

The PSEB has been facing shortage of technical staff in divisions of Jalandhar Zone.

In Assembly elections in the state in 2007, the technical PSEB staff had also been put on poll duty, but later exempted when the matter was brought to the notice of authorities concerned.