Punjab’s state power utilities are staring at a major shake-up, with the state government and PSPCL (Punjab State Power Corporation Limited) management reportedly planning to sell or lease its prime departmental lands and assets in cities like Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar, and Mohali; senior leaders of several unions have said during a meeting held in Sarabha Nagar on Monday.
Expressing their concerns, union leaders also pointed out that such moves could seriously weaken PSPCL and PSTCL (Punjab State Transmission Corporation Limited). They said that the government is unfairly trying to sell off the valuable lands, meant for power houses, offices, central stores that could otherwise be used for the department’s future growth, putting the state’s power supply at risk.
Rashpal Singh, deputy general secretary of PSPCL Employees’ Federation (AITUC) said,” This is the first time when the state government is planning to lease out the valuable assets of the power corporation allegedly to raise funds. The government’s freebie scheme to provide free 300 units of each household has bled the corporation dry, and now they want to sell our future to cover their failure.”
Hiring of non-departmental officer
Adding to their concerns, the government and the power corporation have reportedly appointed a non-departmental officer, with no experience in the power sector above senior departmental officers at PSPCL’s Central Zone office in Ludhiana.
The officer is allegedly a member of the Punjab Development Commission (PDC), an independent think tank set up by the state government in September 2023 to support government policies across prime sectors like education, health, and agriculture.
Notably, the PDC operates under the chief minister and works closely with government departments to implement critical priorities. However, during its formation also the commission has faced sharp criticism from opposition parties, many alleging that outsiders close to Delhi-based AAP leadership were appointed to top positions, within the PDC.
According to the unions, the officer’s role involves collecting key departmental documents and forwarding them to government authorities, raising fears that departmental decisions could be controlled from outside, undermining the corporation’s much touted autonomy.
Reportedly supporting these claims, PSPCL in a notification issued on September 2 had also directed the chief engineer of the P&M wing, Punnardeep Brar, to provide a vacant room at the PSPCL Central Zone office on Ferozepur Road for the official work of newly hired personnel assigned to overlook department’s internal functioning.
The unions raising alarms include the PSEB Engineers’ Association, PSEB Joint Forum, Association of Junior Engineers, Technical Services Union (Reg no 29), Technical Services Union (Sangharshi Front), Council of Junior Engineers, Ministerial Services Union and PSEB Employees Federation (AITUC) among others.
Meanwhile, PSPCL authorities have so far remained tight-lipped on the matter. When approached for a comment, Ajoy Kumar Sinha, PSPCL’s chairman and managing director (CMD), declined to speak on the issue. He stated,” You should talk to the unions only who are making these claims. I can’t say anything as I am not familiar with any such developments.”
