In a move that has sparked controversy, the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) management issued transfer orders for 17 engineers on Tuesday evening, December 24, 2025. The list includes several prominent office-bearers of the Punjab State Electricity Board Engineers’ Association (PSEBEA), leading the union to allege a targeted action against its active members.
Transfers Follow Objection to Rule Amendment
The transfer orders came just hours after the PSEBEA wrote a formal letter to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. The letter objected to a recent amendment in the recruitment and appointment rules for the post of Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD) of PSPCL. This timing has been highlighted by the association as indicative of a retaliatory measure by the power utility's management.
The transferred engineers hold ranks ranging from Deputy Chief Engineer to Senior XEN-level officers. The PSEBEA has been engaged in regular protest actions since November, following the suspension of Chief Engineer Harish Sharma and the termination of Director (Generation) Harjeet Singh. The association has consistently termed these actions as arbitrary and part of a pattern of victimising engineers who raise technical and policy concerns.
Key Office-Bearers Shifted to New Roles
Among the most notable transfers is that of PSEBEA general secretary Ajaypal Singh Atwal. He has been moved from his position as Additional Superintending Engineer (Tech-I) to the Director (Distribution) in Patiala. His new posting is as Additional Superintending Engineer (Enforcement-cum-Enforcement & Assessment and Mobile Meter Testing Squad) in Mandi Gobindgarh.
Similarly, the association's finance secretary, Devinder Kumar Goyal, has been shifted. He moves from his role as Additional Superintending Engineer (Personnel) in Patiala to a corresponding enforcement role in Ludhiana. Another officer, Jatinder Garg, Senior XEN (Distribution System Division) from Model Town, Patiala, has been transferred to a similar enforcement position in Sangrur.
Allegations of Victimisation and Union's Stance
The PSEBEA has strongly condemned the transfers, stating they are clearly aimed at targeting its active members and office-bearers. The association perceives this as an attempt to weaken its ongoing agitation against the management's decisions.
Despite the allegations, the PSEBEA has stated that all transferred engineers will comply with the orders and join their new postings. However, the union has made it clear that its protest movement will continue unabated. The core issues, according to the association, remain the arbitrary suspensions and terminations, coupled with the recent amendment to the CMD appointment rules, which they believe undermines fair and transparent processes within the state power utility.
The situation highlights the ongoing tensions between the PSPCL management and its engineers' union, with the latest transfer orders adding a new layer of conflict to the existing disputes over governance and employee rights within the corporation.
