Ludhiana: Fault repair takes a hit amid staffers’ protest

The workers’ demands include regular recruitment to fill vacant posts, rollback of privatisation efforts, improved safety gear and infrastructure, better working conditions, and proper compensation for workers who died while on duty

With the ongoing paddy season requiring uninterrupted electricity, substations workers in Ludhiana have flagged operational whammy due to a severe manpower crisis and an ongoing “work-to-rule” protest by technical staff. As a result, fault repairs especially after duty hours are getting delayed by hours, leading to prolonged power outages in several urban pockets.

The employees’ demands include regular recruitment to fill vacant posts, roll-back of privatisation efforts among others. (HT Photo)

Notably, under the protest, which began on June 25, regular substation employees are refusing to work beyond their duty hours or attend phone calls post 5 pm. Their demands include regular recruitment to fill vacant posts, rollback of privatisation efforts, improved safety gear and infrastructure, better working conditions, and proper compensation for workers who died while on duty.

Voicing his concerns, Husandeep Singh, a substation junior engineer said,” The situation is tough to manage, particularly during late hours. Around 60% of substation technical posts in the district are lying vacant. Earlier, there used to be dedicated staff for evening shifts, but now, post 5 pm, we have to scramble to arrange teams, which delays restoration efforts during tripping or faults. This leads to long outages, especially in residential areas.”

Explaining the situation, Ashok Kumar, a member of the Grid Sangharsh Committee, Ludhiana, cited a recent incident at the 66 KV substation on Tajpur Road. He stated, “A technical snag occurred in underground cables on Friday evening. Though an outsourced team repaired it, the problem recurred on Saturday. It was finally fixed only by Sunday evening. It took more than 20 hours to resolve this simple glitch.”

A senior official from the department acknowledged the challenges, saying, “To cope, the power department reassigned some staff from the operation wing to manage field operations. But they are not familiar with substation circuits and layouts. Every substation has its own power infrastructure, and assigning such personnel not only reduces efficiency but also puts them at risk.”

When contacted, Punnardeep Singh Brar, chief engineer (protection and maintenance wing), downplayed the crisis, stating, “We are managing the situation with the existing workforce to meet the power demand.”