More than 1,000 engineers had previously rallied in Patiala on December 2 to protest these and related administrative decisions.
Punjab Power Engineers’ Work-to-Rule Escalates: Govt Inaction Sparks Sector-Wide Protest
On Thursday, The agitation by engineers at Punjab’s state power utilities escalated sharply as the PSEB Engineers’ Association announced a stricter work-to-rule campaign and the routine switching off of official mobile phones after duty hours and cited continued government inaction on their core demands. According to the association, the decision follows repeated appeals to CM Bhagwant Mann and Power Minister Sanjeev Arora that had no response.
The protest was launched in late November. It focuses on objections to the sale and monetisation of assets of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) and Punjab State Transmission Corporation Limited (PSTCL), the reinstatement of suspended executives, and the repeal of the contentious Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2025. Engineers said that the bill centralises control, undermines technical autonomy, and opens doors to privatisation of power utilities.
According to the association, one of the main reasons for this unrest is the suspension of Chief Engineer Harish Sharma at the Ropar thermal plant and the removal of Director (Generation) Harjit Singh, actions the association labels punitive and politically motivated. More than 1,000 engineers had previously rallied in Patiala on December 2 to protest these and related administrative decisions.
The association’s formal notice also highlights operational challenges hampering the commissioning of the critical 2×800 MW supercritical units at Ropar, attributing delays to non-technical interference and pressure to bend established procedures. They said that such interference diminishes institutional integrity and impairs reliable power delivery.
Punjab’s power sector is already under severe stress, grappling with an estimated INR 1.2 lakh crore debt and over 20 per cent transmission losses, exacerbated by longstanding free electricity for farmers. The INR 16,000 crore Ropar project, intended to improve capacity and reduce emissions, now faces funding uncertainties and alleged political issues that could jeopardise summer supply reliability, officials said.
This is the third major power engineers’ agitation in five years, with past strikes majorly affecting electricity supply. The association asserts that essential services will continue but cautions that fault response times could slow due to the disciplined work-to-rule actions. The association said that engineers have vowed to sustain core operations and blame management for any disruption, urging an immediate resolution.
Source: Times of India
