In a strong show of dissent, PSPCL employees and pensioners across Ludhiana held protest rallies at divisional levels against the state government's alleged move to sell valuable assets belonging to the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL).
The protests were organised jointly by Bijli Mulazam Ekta Manch, Joint Forum, Association of Junior Engineers (AOJE), Powercom and Transco Pensioners' Union and Grid Substation Employees' Union.
The protesting staff have accused the government of attempting to privatise public resources under the guise of asset monetisation and warned that such decisions could jeopardise the future of both the power utility and its workforce, calling it "an attack on the future of the power sector." They noted that the electricity department is already under severe financial strain, and vacant plots acquired for future substations or offices are now being sold off at low prices to government favourites.
"Employees will never tolerate such exploitation of public assets," said Rashpal Singh Pali, deputy general secretary of the PSEB Employees Federation (AITUC). He emphasised that thousands of workers had sacrificed their lives to build the Punjab electricity board and its extensive infrastructure, which today strengthens villages and towns across the state. "We will not allow the government to hand over this hard built public property to its preferred individuals for peanuts," he added.
Additionally, union leaders including Raghuvir Singh Ramgarh, state organising secretary of the Technical Service Union and Gurpreet Singh Mehdoodan, divisional president, along with engineer Jagtar Singh of AOJE and Kewal Singh Banwait, state vice-president of Powercom and Transco Pensioners' Union, demanded that the government immediately withdraw its decision to sell PSPCL's assets.
The leaders warned that if the government proceeds with its "ill-intentioned plan" to privatise valuable public assets, the unions would be compelled to escalate their agitation. They also stated that decisions from a joint meeting scheduled in Ludhiana for October 12 would be implemented "without fail."