Pay Cut: employees alleged govt department failure to clear power bill, power purchase @ 10 per unit deteriorated the situation
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in News/ February 1,2024
A joint protest rally was organised on the main gate of PSPCL head office at Patiala by PSEB Engineers Association, Joint Forum, JE Council, Bijli Mulajam Ekta Manch, Accounts Association, HR Officers Association in protest against nonpayment of current subsidy bills, pendency of previous subsidy bills of 5400 crore, nonpayment of bills to the tune of 3100 crore by various Punjab Govt Dept, which has led to deteriorating financial health of power sector and now non disbursement of salaries to its employees, creating industrial unrest.
Despite an acute shortage of staff and extreme weather conditions, engineers and employees have been performing beyond their prescribed duties to serve the consumers of the state. However, all their efforts are negated when the company fails to pay even the monthly salary in time, causing demotivation in all the employees. Er. Jasvir Singh
Dhiman, President of the association informed that this is unprecedented in the history of PSPCL/PSTCL, that both corporations have been unable to pay the salaries and pensions of its employees.
Association criticised the PSPCL management and Punjab Government for its failure to ensure timely reimbursement of power subsidy bills leading to the financial crisis in both
Corporations in the very start of 2024. Association has been continuously raising concern regarding the increasing share of subsidies in the revenues of PSPCL.
Almost 45 percent of PSPCL revenue is dependent on timely payments of subsidy bills by the Punjab Government. The dependency on subsidy is such that even a small delay in subsidy payment by Punjab Govt puts the power corporations in a precarious financial position.
Er Dhiman further informed that Punjab Govt is one of the biggest defaulter of PSPCL, in terms of nonpayment of electricity bills for its own establishments. Bills of around 3100 Cr are pending with various Punjab Govt Departments.
Association criticised the Punjab Govt as it has not only failed in the very first month of 2024 to fulfill its commitment to pay the subsidy bills, even though bound by the provisions of the Tariff Order and the Electricity Act, but has also failed to review the one sided costly power purchase agreements with private thermals that have been bleeding the power corporation and leading to increase in electricity tariff for the consumers of Punjab.
Outages/ less production in private thermal plants, obligations to buy power due to banking arrangements have forced PSPCL to buy expensive power from the market at 10/- per unit during peak hours, further deteriorating the financial position. Had the state sector GNDTP Bathinda and two units of GGSSTP Ropar were not dismantled this situation could have been avoided.
Association demanded that if the Punjab Government is unable to afford the subsidy bill then the government must review its subsidy policy, as the Financial health of PSPCL is deteriorating due to nonpayment of subsidy bills, nonpayment of govt department bills to the tune of 3100 crore and high-cost power purchase agreements.
Pay Cut: employees alleged govt department failure to clear power bill, power purchase @ 10 per unit deteriorated the situation. During the protest rallies at Patiala members of the Association resolved that if proactive steps are not taken by the Power Corporation Management and Punjab Govt, agitation will be intensified.
