Preparations are in full swing for the sit-in protest being organized by electricity employees against CPDL on October 19

Preparations are in full swing for the sit-in protest being organized by electricity employees against CPDL on October 19

Chandigarh 9 October ( Ranjeet Singh Dhaliwal ) : A 'gate meeting' was held today at the Sector 23 electricity office to prepare for the protest scheduled for October 19—called by the UT Power Man Union, Chandigarh—against the Chandigarh Administration and CPDL. The meeting took place in front of the electricity office in Sector 17. Union General Secretary Gopal Dutt Joshi, Senior Vice President Sukhvinder Singh Sidhu, Joint Secretaries Virendra Singh, Tarun Kumar, and Lovepreet Singh, along with Mahipal Singh and others, addressed the gathering. Addressing the gate meeting, speakers sharply criticized the Chandigarh Administration and CPDL management, alleging that the negative attitude of both entities has sparked a wave of resentment among the employees. They stated that, on one hand, the Chandigarh Administration—acting illegally, unilaterally, and arbitrarily—had effectively "sold" government employees to a private company as if they were mere commodities, thereby washing its hands of the matter and abandoning them to their fate. On the other hand, the company is treating these employees unfairly and adopting a dismissive attitude instead of addressing their grievances and difficulties. Furthermore, the nature of the employees' work is being completely altered, and they are being subjected to harassment.

The speakers expressed deep concern and outrage over the fact that retired officers from specific departments are being deployed to mentally harass employees; it appears they have been hired solely to torment and trouble the staff. These officers—who were previously responsible for the department's deteriorating condition—are now not only harassing employees through their negative work practices but are also causing continuous financial loss to the company. The speakers have demanded that senior officials of the RPSG Group immediately remove these corrupt retired employees.

The speakers stated that demands were discussed with the CPDL management on July 21, and the sit-in protest scheduled for July 22 was postponed following assurances that these demands would be implemented; however, even after two months, all demands remain unaddressed. The administration has evaded responsibility regarding the promotion of regular employees, resulting in a failure to fill posts that became vacant in February 2025. The company has also reneged on its promise to absorb contract employees onto its regular rolls and is now looking to oust them by proposing a UPSC-level examination. Furthermore, the promised 2% additional hike in DC rates has not been implemented for the past three months. The administration and the company remain silent on issues concerning time-bound promotions, pay scales, and medical facilities.

A double standard is being adopted regarding the payment of dues to retired employees. Even though cases are pending in court, employees are being threatened with dismissal and the withholding of promotions for failing to submit the 'Apar' (Annual Performance Appraisal Report). An appeal has been made to all employees to participate in large numbers in the protest scheduled for October 19.