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Ludhiana: PSPCL staff to protest on Jan 15 over land sell-off plan
The protest is part of a statewide agitation against the proposed sale of power corporation land, hurdles in the installation of 800 MW units at the Ropar thermal plant and the attempts to implement the Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2025
In a strong show of dissent, senior engineers, regular employees and pensioners of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) have announced to hold massive protests across Ludhiana on January 15 against the state government failure to halt what they describe as “anti-public power sector decisions”.
The protest is being organised under the banner of the Power Sector Joint Action Committee of Employees, Engineers and Pensioners, a platform bringing together serving staff, officers and retired employees under one banner.
The protest is part of a statewide agitation with protest planned in every zone against the proposed sale of power corporation land, hurdles in the installation of 800 MW units at the Ropar thermal plant and the attempts to implement the Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which employees fear will pave the way for privatisation and weaken public control over electricity.
The decision to protest was taken at a joint meeting of power sector organisations held in Patiala on December 22. The meeting was attended by representatives of the PSEB Engineers Association, Council of Junior Engineers, Bijli Mulazam Sangharsh Morcha, Pensioners Association, IT Officers Association, HR Officers Association, Accounts Association among others.
Joint Action Committee spokespersons Avtar Singh Kanth and engineer Jatinder Garg said the Ludhiana protest would send a “clear and uncompromising message” to the government that despite several objections to the state government’s proposal to lease out the PSPCL land, they continue to move forward it. “This is not just an employees’ issue anymore. This is about protecting Punjab’s public power sector, built with people’s money, from being dismantled piece by piece,” they said.
They warned that if the government continues with what they termed “power sector hostile policies”, the agitation would escalate. “A dharna will be staged outside the Powercom head office in the last week of January and if the authorities still fail to act, the entire power sector workforce employees, officers and engineers will go on mass leave,” the senior leaders said.
Additionally, the Joint Action Committee said farmer unions would also extend support. As per a decision taken by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha in its meeting on December 14, farmer organisations will participate in the movement, signalling broader resistance to the proposed changes in the power sector.
The committee also revealed that a delegation met the PSPCL chairman, Basant Garg on December 23 and submitted a formal agitation notice. While the chairman assured “positive steps”, only a meeting scheduled for December 30 has been offered so far. Protesters said assurances without concrete action would no longer be acceptable.
The Joint Action Committee has urged the state government to immediately intervene and stop any move that threatens the public power sector, warning that failure to do so will push the agitation into a decisive phase starting with the January 15 Ludhiana protest.
