Are PSPCL power engineers reluctant in joining Punjab mining department due to fear of IAS officer?

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Are PSPCL power engineers reluctant in joining Punjab mining department due to fear of IAS officer?

Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in

Punjab mining department has requested the Punjab state power corporation limited (PSPCL) to send one superintending engineer (SE) and six AE/AEE rank power engineers on three year deputation basis. These power engineers will be deputed / posted with the mining department officers at Chandigarh, Ropar, Mohali, Gurdaspur, Pathankot and Hoshiarpur for three years. The deputation period of these officers can be extended further with mutual consent / agreement of Punjab Mining department and Punjab state power corporation limited.

As per available information only one officer of the rank of superintending engineer (SE) has given his consent to join the Punjab mining department on deputation at Chandigarh despite the repeated notices issued by the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited management.

Powercom management had issued an office order demanding the consent of the power engineers after geeting the request from the Punjab water resources department and the last day to apply was November 18,2022. At that time no power engineer had given his/ her consent. Than as per sources, principal secretary water resources Krishan Kumar ,IAS had a talk with the CMD of the PSPCL Er Baldev Singh Sran who again issued a notice demanding the consent of the engineers to join the water resources department and the last date to apply was kept December 2,2022.

Are PSPCL power engineers reluctant in joining Punjab mining department due to fear of IAS officer? Now, only one officer of the rank SE has given his consent whereas no AE/AEE rank engineer has given his/ her consent.

When contacted an officer of the powercom why the power engineers are reluctant to join the so called ‘plum’ post, ‘plum’ department despite the requisition demanded by the department himself, he said on the condition of anonymity “it seems the terror of principal secretary water resources department is so much that engineers of Punjab State Power Corporation limited are avoiding joining the mining department on deputation. The principal secretary is a hard task master and this may also be another reason forcing the engineers to not to respond.”

To tighten noose around crushers, mining mafia Punjab mining department seeks assistance from PSPCL. As per sources around 450 crusher units are registered with the state government. Crusher units are in itself a big industry segment contributing good revenue into the state exchequer.

To check the revenue pilferage, actual consumption of power, to check raw material input and processed material output, royalty etc this collaboration between two technical departments will benefit the state government’s earning.

An officer on the condition of anonymity added “though the crushing units are not operative in the state at present, the state government is doing its planning to fill all the gaps of revenue pilferage. The government is doing the survey and has identified around 800-900 sites where sand, gravel material is available. As soon as the state government receives the environmental clearance, the unit will start operating. The government will keep an eye on them from the very first day. The government will also going to check the units randomly, about the raw material input and processed material output and is the power consumption matching with them or not. The crusher will have to file monthly returns of the material processed by them and the power engineers will check the power consumed by the crushing unit is matching with the return or not.”

In the past, the National Green Tribunal had directed the Punjab government to limit the number of stone crushers as per carrying capacity of source of raw material available. The carrying capacity addresses the question as to how many stone crushers can be permitted into any area without the risk of degrading the environment. On this the officer added that “a new policy for crushers has been approved by the Punjab Cabinet.”