PSPCL Employees Stage Protest Against Punjab Government's Asset Sale Plans
In a significant demonstration of dissent, employees, engineers, and pensioners of the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) gathered in front of the corporation's head office in Patiala on Wednesday. The protest, organized under the banner of a Joint Action Committee (JAC), targeted multiple contentious issues, including the proposed sale of power department properties, the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2025, and the installation of two 800MW thermal units in Ropar.
Allegations of Political Interference and Erosion of Independence
The protesters voiced strong concerns about the current state of Punjab's power sector, describing it as passing through a rough phase marked by unprecedented political interference. According to the demonstrators, this interference is systematically eroding PSPCL's operational independence, jeopardizing the stability and efficiency of power distribution across the state.
JAC leaders, representing various unions and associations, highlighted specific grievances during the protest. Ajaypal Singh Atwal, General Secretary of the PSEB Engineers' Association, emphasized that the Punjab Government is unilaterally planning to sell valuable lands and other assets of PSPCL. This move is reportedly justified under the Optimum Utilisation of Vacant Government Lands (OUVGL) scheme, a pretext that the JAC finds unacceptable.
Financial Performance and Legislative Concerns
Padamjit Singh, Chief Patron of the JAC, pointed to the financial health of India's power distribution companies, noting a collective profit after tax of Rs 2,700 crore and a reduction in line losses from 22.62% in 2014. Despite these improvements, he alleged that the Central Government is aggressively pushing the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2025 in Parliament's ongoing Budget Session. Singh described the bill as anti-people and accused the government of facilitating a corporate takeover of power distribution through chaotic legislative processes.
Resolutions and Calls for Action
The Joint Action Committee adopted several resolutions during the protest, demanding:
- Scrapping of the four new labour codes
- Withdrawal of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant's recent comments against trade unions
- Adjustment of degree/diploma apprenticeship holders in power utilities
- Adjustment of outsourced meter readers and workers in PSPCL and Punjab State Transmission Corporation Limited
In a strategic move, the JAC appealed to all power-sector trade unions in Punjab to join the nationwide strike scheduled for February 12. This call to action underscores the growing unrest among power sector employees, who have been opposing state government policies for several months.
The protest in Patiala reflects a broader wave of dissatisfaction within PSPCL, with participants from across Punjab expressing solidarity. As tensions escalate, the state government faces mounting pressure to address these concerns, particularly regarding asset sales and legislative changes that could reshape the power distribution landscape.
