Electricity employees struggle to access their own pension and provident funds;

Electricity employees struggle to access their own pension and provident funds; 

facing severe hardships with no one listening to their grievances

Chandigarh 17 July ( Ranjeet Singh Dhaliwal ) : Employees forcibly transferred from the Chandigarh Administration to CPDL—without being given the option to choose—are facing immense difficulties. They are struggling even to withdraw their own pensions and accumulated provident funds, yet their pleas are going unheard. It is worth noting that on February 1, 2025, these employees were transferred to the private company CPDL against their will, based on a one-year provisional period. They had been assured that the move to the private company would result in no loss of benefits; they were promised the continuation of all government-standard facilities, service conditions, and promotion prospects. However, a year and a half later, the situation has turned chaotic. 

Ten employees who retired and two who passed away during this period have not received a single penny, including their own accumulated funds. Similarly, around 12 to 13 employees have applied to withdraw their General Provident Fund (GPF) for purposes such as their children's weddings, purchasing homes or plots, and funding their children's education, yet they are being denied access to their own money. It is also noteworthy that the Central Administrative Tribunal has issued a stay order preventing the transfer of employees' General Provident Fund (GPF) from the Accountant General (AG) to the trust; yet, the administration is betraying the employees and their families by withholding the funds deposited with the AG. 

Employees and the union have repeatedly met with senior officials to highlight the difficulties being faced, but the administration's officials remain completely unresponsive, turning a deaf ear to their grievances. Condemning the administration and CPDL, the UT Powermen Union, Chandigarh, has warned that if pensionary benefits and the employees' own funds are not promptly released to retired employees and the dependents of deceased staff—and if other demands regarding promotions, regularization, and operational issues remain unaddressed—a protest will be staged in Sector 17 on February 22, 2026, where a call for direct agitation will also be announced.