While Punjab’s Industry and Power Minister Sanjeev Arora is away on a 10-day investment tour to Japan along with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann from December 1, the state’s power sector witnessed an unprecedented show of unity and resentment on Tuesday. More than 1,000 engineers from the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL), Punjab State Transmission Corporation Limited (PSTCL), and Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) assembled in Patiala for a state-level protest, accusing the minister of “increasing political interference” and “destabilising” the power sector. Power corporation engineers have been staging different forms of protest for nearly a month following the suspension of Harish Sharma, who held dual charge as chief engineer of Guru Gobind Singh Super Thermal Plant, Ropar (GGSSTP), and Guru Amardas Thermal Plant, Goindwal Sahib, on November 2, and the removal of Harjit Singh as director (generation) on November 4.
Since November 26, Punjab State Electricity Board Engineers’ Association (PSEBEA) members have exited all official WhatsApp groups and reverted to pre-social-media working patterns as a mark of dissent. State-level protest meeting by PSEB Engineers Association at Patiala.
(Special Arrangement) State-level protest meeting by PSEB Engineers Association at Patiala. (Special Arrangement) ‘A rare and massive display of unity’ Calling the gathering a “rare and massive display of unity,” PSEBEA general secretary Ajaypal Singh Atwal said engineers from all levels — from chief engineers to assistant engineers — participated along with retired senior officers and representatives of multiple employee unions. “It was a massive display of unity and resentment.
More than 1,000 engineers gathered to register their protest against grave threats to the stability and autonomy of the power sector,” Atwal said. Atwal alleged the minister’s recent decisions have “undermined technical integrity, professional dignity and institutional processes. ” These include what the association calls arbitrary attempts to sell or monetise power sector properties, hurdles in the process of setting up 2×800 MW supercritical units at GGSSTP Ropar, the ‘illegitimate’ suspension of Harish Sharma without due process, and the ‘illegal’ removal of director (generation) Harjit Singh “on unsubstantiated and fabricated technical grounds.
” “Political interference in technical and administrative decisions has crossed all limits,” PSEBEA members said, adding that the minister’s actions are destabilising the power sector at a time when he is away in Japan seeking investments. Story continues below this ad PSEBEA president Jasvir Dhiman said, “the engineers believe the recent decisions pose a direct threat to the Chief Minister’s directive of “zero power outage.
” These arbitrary actions have disrupted functioning across the sector and jeopardised Punjab’s long-term power reliability, he said. Dhiman added that even after one month, “not a single piece of evidence has been presented to support the allegations that led to the suspension of Harish Sharma or the removal of Harjit Singh.
” Key resolutions passed Following deliberations, the engineers unanimously passed key resolutions demanding immediate intervention from the state government. These include halting the process of selling or monetising power sector assets under the optimum utilisation of vacant government land (OUVGL) policy; resuming the Ropar supercritical units project without delay to secure future power availability; and revoking Sharma’s suspension while formally condemning Harjit Singh’s removal.
The association also demanded concrete measures to curb political interference and restrict the role of “external, unaccountable private consultants”. Dhiman urged Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to intervene immediately “to restore stability and professional autonomy. ” Story continues below this ad The protest meeting was addressed by several senior engineers and union leaders, including PSEBEA patron Padamjit Singh, M S Bajwa, former PSEBEA president, Y P Mehra, PSEB ex-member, Darshan Bhullar, retired deputy chief engineer, Avtar Kainth, secretary Bijli Mulazim Sangharshsheel Morcha, Harpal Singh, general secretary, PSEB Employees Joint Forum, Gurpreet Singh Gandiwind, convener, Bijli Mulazim Ekta Manch, and Devinder Singh, patron council of Junior Engineers.
The protest organised by PSEBEA comes at a time when the AAP Government is grappling with a wave of agitation — roadways employees had just returned to work on Tuesday, while over 9,000 National Health Mission employees began a pen-down strike on Monday.