The Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has finally cleared pending overtime payments worth over ₹4.27 crore for technical employees working at its substations, ending a nearly three-year wait for hundreds of frontline workers who had been putting in extra hours to maintain the state's power supply.
Approval and Implementation
The decision was taken at a meeting of PSPCL's Committee of Whole-Time Directors on June 30, and a formal implementation order was issued on July 3. The administrative approval covers overtime worked beyond prescribed quarterly limits from April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2025.
According to the official communication, payments will be made for overtime exceeding 50 hours per person per quarter between April and September 2023, and beyond 115 hours per person per quarter from October 2023 to March 2025. The amounts will be released after certification by controlling officers.
Relief for Workers Amid Ongoing Protest
The approval comes as PSPCL employees across Punjab continue a work-to-rule protest launched on July 1 over several long-pending service-related demands. A substation worker in Jalandhar described the challenges: "We have been working round the clock, often giving up our weekly offs, emergency leaves and holidays. There aren't enough hands to operate the substations. My substation requires four staff members but we are managing with three. Whenever one of us takes a day off, the remaining employees have to work an additional four hours to cover the eight-hour shift. The management recognised only 50 hours of overtime per quarter and even those payments remained pending for months. It is unfair."
Rashpal Singh, deputy general secretary of the PSEB Employees Federation, said, "There are around 850 substations across Punjab, many of these functioning with inadequate staff strength. Most substations require more employees than are currently posted. Whenever a staff member goes on leave, others are compelled to work additional shifts to ensure uninterrupted power supply."
Background and Unresolved Issues
The payment clearance follows sustained protests and repeated representations by employees. While the decision is welcomed, Singh noted that prominent issues such as filling vacant posts and addressing the acute manpower shortage at substations remain unresolved. The workers include substation assistants, Junior Engineers (Substations), and routine teammates who have been working beyond their scheduled eight-hour shifts to keep the power distribution network operational amid an acute shortage of manpower.
