Patiala, April 25
PSPCL management has agreed to consider the demands of power engineers within a time-bound schedule. The Power Corporation engineers have been agitating for the last six months. Giving this information, Ajaypal Singh Atwal, General Secretary of the PSEB Engineers’ Association, said that they held a meeting with PSPCL management which was attended by the CMD, Director/Distribution, Director/Commercial, Director/Finance and the Association’s office bearers at Chandigarh.
Atwal said that the main focus was on the AE starting scale, which was discussed in detail with the management. PSPCL management assured that concrete steps would be taken to resolve the issue within the coming week. The issue was also discussed separately with officials of the finance department.
It may be recalled that PSEB engineers have been granted higher pay scales compared to their counterparts in the Punjab government, recognizing the arduous and critical nature of their responsibilities in comparison to other departments. This pay differential has always been maintained, acknowledging the demanding nature of power sector duties. It was assured that the existing committee will revisit the generation incentive, and the Director/Finance will detail the funding arrangements for the Terminal Benefits Trust. The management also agreed to re-examine the Cashless Medical Scheme for power sector employees.
During the meeting, the Association voiced a firm stance against the sale of power sector assets and any violations of the Tripartite Agreement (TPA), stating that such moves are completely unacceptable. The Punjab government is unilaterally planning the sale of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) land assets, which the Association termed “completely illegal” and demanded be revoked forthwith. The lands were acquired on the ground that they were required for a corporation wholly owned and controlled by the state government.
It is pertinent to recall that during the restructuring of the erstwhile PSEB in April 2010, a comprehensive Tripartite Agreement (TPA) was executed between the Government of Punjab, the Management, and all unions and associations of the erstwhile PSEB, including the PSEB Engineers’ Association. This TPA was duly notified by the Power Department.
Atwal said that the complete agenda could not be discussed and both parties agreed to schedule a follow-up meeting soon to address the remaining agenda items.
