Act against DCs for blatantly violating the instructions of ECI/ State Govt-PSEBEA
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in News/ June 2,2024
Today, Punjab State Electricity Board Engineers’ Association (PSEBEA) has written a letter to the chief secretary of Punjab and demanded action against deputy commissioners for deputing powercom engineers on extra departmental duties/ election duty and willfully disobeying the Election Commission and Punjab Govt orders.
The general secretary of the PSEBEA , Ajaypal Singh atwal said “Election Commission and the Punjab Government have acknowledged the importance of the power sector as an essential service and for ensuring reliable power supply during the election process. Multiple communications were issued by the chief secretary office, the Election Commission, and ACS Power, but these have unfortunately fallen on deaf ears. Both corporations (PSPCL/ PSTCL) are grappling with severe staff shortages, operating with only 40 percent of the sanctioned workforce. The concerned district administration officials blatantly ignored the gravity of the situation and have deputed a large number of PSPCL/ PSTCL technical staff and officers on election duties and non-departmental/general administration duties such as duty magistrates etc.”
“The Association has brought this issue to the chief secretary’s attention multiple times and through various channels, emphasising that such interference in the operations of power corporations, already strained by severe staff shortages, would be disastrous” added Atwal.
“Now, this prediction has come to pass. Presently demand has crossed 14000 MW and is expected to cross 16000 MW in the coming days. With regret, it must be admitted that due to the indifferent attitude of the district authorities, we may have reached a breaking point, potentially leading to widespread disruptions in the electricity supply in the State. The same has come to fore on the Election Day as power supply was hit due to storm. SOS messages were sent to the district administration many villages supply including several polling Booths had got affected, PSPCL was finding it difficult to restore the supply as the technical staff including the SDOs were deputed on election duty by the DCs. Despite repeated requests to the administration, the PSPCL staffs including SDOs were not spared from election duty” said the spokesperson of the association.
Act against DCs for blatantly violating the instructions of ECI/ State Govt-PSEBEA. Association marked the letter to the power minister , ACS power, CMD/ directors of PSPCL / PSTCL and demands that action may please be initiated against the authorities who blatantly violated the instructions of ECI/ State Govt. with strict instructions that in future PSPCL/ PSTCL technical employees shall not be put on any extra non-departmental duties, as they are handling the MOST IMPORTANT Essential Service i.e Power supply.
