Electricity workers are once again on the path of struggle against the Chandigarh Administration's highhandedness.

Electricity workers are once again on the path of struggle against the Chandigarh Administration's highhandedness. 

A protest and a black Diwali have been announced for October 16th. A gate meeting is underway.

Chandigarh 9 October ( Ranjeet Singh Dhaliwal ) : At the call of the UT Powermen Union, a gate meeting was held today at the Electricity Office in Sector 10 in preparation for the protest to be held in front of Division Number Two, Industrial Area Phase 1, on October 16th, 2025. Addressing the gate meeting, Union President Amrik Singh, General Secretary Gopal Dutt Joshi, Secretary Jagtar Singh, Surjeet Singh, and Virendra Singh strongly condemned the negative and illegal attitude of the Chandigarh Administration, especially the Engineering Department officials, towards the employees sent to the company. They also criticized the Chief Engineer, Superintendent Engineer, and Executive Engineer for their duplicitous behavior and for deliberately harassing and shirking their responsibilities, which, in order to protect themselves, forcibly sent employees to the private company without their consent. 

Speakers alleged that these officials first flouted bidding procedures, drafted a false RFP, and without auditing the value of all assets, sold properties worth crores for a pittance. Later, through a notification dated January 31, 2025, approximately 350 officers and employees were transferred to a private company, like animals, on an "as is where is" basis, without any option or consent, for a one-year (12-month) provisional transfer from February 1, 2025. Even today, eight months later, arrivals and departures have not occurred. It was stated that options and representations would be discussed within a month, and a final decision would be made thereafter. A committee was formed on February 24, 2025, and the deadline for submitting options and representations was announced as April 30. All employees and the union were given the option to adjust with the administration by April 30th. Eight months later, no decision has been taken on this matter, and the employees are being held in a position of power. Instead of the administration implementing the employees' due promotions on January 31st, when the post became vacant, the administration is washing its hands off the matter and having CPDL (a private company) administer them. This is completely wrong and illegal. Until the transfer is complete and during the provisional period, which runs until January 31st, 2026, the company has no authority to promote, degrade, or even issue chargesheets or take any action. How can it exercise the government's power under the government recruitment and promotion notifications, when the employees are neither company employees nor has the company established any recruitment and promotion rules? In these circumstances, strict action was demanded against the officials who granted the company this authority. Similarly, allotment of houses, change of house, medical health schemes, loan advances, and other pensionary benefits are also the administration's responsibility. However, officials are completely shirking their responsibilities, harassing employees and leaving them at the mercy of private companies. The latest example of this exploitation is retired lineman Shambhu Lal Singh, who retired on March 31st. Even today, seven months later, he is being forced to wander from door to door due to non-payment of his gratuity, live-in accommodation, and group insurance. Therefore, in its meeting, the union announced a massive protest on October 16th against the administration's arbitrariness and anti-employee attitude, declaring it a "Black Diwali" and vowing a do-or-die struggle. Union officials appealed to all employees to demonstrate their unity by joining the protest on October 16th in large numbers against the administration's negative actions.