PATIALA: PSEB engineers Association in a letter to the Chief Minister has urged him to appoint a full time technocrat as CMD of PSPCL and CMD of PSTCL instead of ad-hoc arrangements being made.
The letter mentions that the selection process to fill-up the posts of CMD/ PSPCL was started, but the power department has been unable to complete the selection process till date. Now the charge of CMD PSPCL and CMD PSTCL has been given to the newly appointed Secretary Power.
It may be mentioned that the Punjab Government has set an ambitious and much needed target of achieving “Zero Power Outages” by March 2026. To achieve this goal, focused and technically competent leadership is indispensable. It is practically not feasible for a Secretary level officer, who is entrusted with multiple important administrative assignments and may have limited or no prior experience in the power sector, to devote the level of technical and managerial attention that PSPCL and PSTCL critically require.
Moreover, the assigning the charge of CMD, PSPCL to a Secretary-level officer is inconsistent with the qualifications prescribed under the prevailing Government of Punjab notification.This ad-hoc arrangement will not only disrupt the informed decision-making process on these crucial technical positions but also creates a sense of uncertainty and instability in the power sector.
The Association urges again that regular technocrat CMDs be appointed for both PSPCL and PSTCL to ensure dedicated, experienced, and technical leadership capable of effectively steering these corporations.
The power sector constitutes a vital public service, and any form of undue political interference in its technical operations, day-to-day functioning, procurement processes or Board agendas may seriously undermine its efficiency and long-term stability of power sector. Such actions would not only be contrary to the vision of “Zero Power Outage” by March 2026, but would also ultimately impair the quality and reliability of power services being provided to the consumers.