Chamba: Power board pensioners seek restoration of OPS

Our Correspondent

Chamba, June 20

The Electricity Board Pensioners’ Forum, Chamba district, has urged Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to immediately restore of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS).

A General House of the Electricity Board Pensioners’ Forum, Chamba district, was held here yesterday under the chairmanship of district president Atma Ram Sharma. The meeting was attended by general secretary Narsingh Rawat, finance secretary Jagdish Thakur, state executive member Kishan Sharma, district senior vice president Sobhiya Ram and a large number of pensioners. Addressing the gathering, former state president of the Electricity Board Employees Union, Kuldeep Singh Kharwara said even two years after the pay revision on the recommendation of 6th Pay Commission, the board management had failed to provide financial benefits to the pensioners.

Additionally, for the past one year retiring employees had not received gratuity and leave encashment payments, he said, adding the pending drawing limits for arrears based on the revised pay scales amounting to crores of rupees, had been unresolved for over a year. Kharwara alleged that the financial condition of the board under Managing Director Harikesh Meena had been deteriorating since his appointment. Due to the additional responsibilities, Meena spent minimal time on the board affairs and his behaviour towards pensioners and employees was highly condemnable, said Kharwara.

He alleged that recently, power purchasing work was transferred from the Electricity Board to a private company, Energy Management Centre. The board’s offices and properties were also being transferred to this private entity, violating the 2003 Electricity Act and the tripartite agreement of 2010, he said.

Kharwara highlighted that despite several public announcements by the Chief Minister, the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) had not been restored for the board pensioners. He accused the MD of misleading the government with incorrect information regarding the restoration of the OPS.

Kharwara urged the CM to replace Harikesh Meena with a permanent MD to avoid further “damage” to the board, failing which the pensioners will be compelled to launch a state-level protest.

The General House passed a resolution requesting the CM to promptly reinstate the OPS as promised, without discriminating against electricity board employees.

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