Despite repeated safety advisories, training programmes and the issuance of protective gear, outsourced electricity workers engaged in Punjab State Power Corporation Limited’s (PSPCL) complaint-response system continue to operate in hazardous conditions, with at least three deaths and five serious injuries reported among Complaint Handling Bike (CHB) workers in Ludhiana over the past 18 months.
Official records show eight accident cases involving CHB workers during 2025 and 2026. These workers form the frontline of PSPCL’s breakdown-response mechanism, deployed across Ludhiana district to attend to power failures, local faults and emergency supply restoration—often in conditions involving live wires and unstable electrical infrastructure.
The data reveals five cases in 2025, including two fatalities and three non-fatal injuries, followed by three more cases in 2026 so far, including one death and two injuries. One injured worker remains under treatment, while another has returned to duty after recovering from earlier injuries.
Departmental inquiries into the fatalities in 2025 have concluded that both deaths occurred during duty-related work. However, officials said the fatal case reported in 2026 took place when the worker was allegedly engaged in private electrical work outside PSPCL’s authorised framework and supervision.
PSPCL officials maintain that most accidents occur due to electrocution, falls from poles, slips during maintenance work and accidental contact with live conductors. They assert that safety protocols are in place and that workers are repeatedly instructed not to undertake unauthorised electrical assignments. The utility further stated that all accident cases reported this year, including the fatality, were linked to private work undertaken without departmental knowledge or approval.
{{/usCountry}}PSPCL officials maintain that most accidents occur due to electrocution, falls from poles, slips during maintenance work and accidental contact with live conductors. They assert that safety protocols are in place and that workers are repeatedly instructed not to undertake unauthorised electrical assignments. The utility further stated that all accident cases reported this year, including the fatality, were linked to private work undertaken without departmental knowledge or approval.
{{/usCountry}}However, the recurrence of such incidents has raised questions over on-ground safety enforcement, adequacy of protective equipment and the working conditions of outsourced personnel who form a critical layer in the power distribution network. Worker representatives and union leaders have long argued that low monthly earnings—estimated between ₹12,000 and ₹16,500 depending on sources—leave some workers financially compelled to take up additional electrical work, increasing exposure to risk.
CHB Union (West Circle) president Avtar Singh said around 1,100 outsourced CHB workers are currently deployed in Ludhiana. He alleged that while safety kits are provided, essential items are not always available or replaced in time.
He also pointed to intense operational pressure during breakdowns and adverse weather conditions, when rapid restoration of supply increases the likelihood of accidents.
PSPCL, however, maintains that it follows a strict safety regime, provides complete protective equipment and conducts regular sensitisation programmes. Chief engineer (Central Zone) Jagdev Singh Hans said workers are repeatedly instructed not to perform any electrical work without safety gear and approval. He added that in recent fatal cases, workers were allegedly engaged in private assignments during off-duty hours, which fall outside departmental supervision.
Despite welfare provisions such as EPF, ESI, insurance, gratuity and compensation benefits that may extend up to ₹25 lakh, the repeated accidents highlight persistent occupational hazards faced by outsourced workers.