Himachal electricity employees, pensioners hold ‘protest panchayat’ in Una over abolition of posts

The joint front of the Himachal Pradesh Electricity Board Employees, Engineers and Pensioners organised a district-level panchayat in Una on Tuesday (February 18, 2025).

Hundreds of electricity board workers, engineers, pensioners, and consumers participated in the event, highlighting the ongoing concerns in the sector.

The joint protest committee, under which the employees have been protesting since February 6, has been demanding resolution on various issues affecting them. Similar panchayats were earlier held in Hamirpur on February 11.

Opposition against dismissal of employee leader

Prominent leaders from the Joint Front, including ML Vashisht, Chandra Singh Mandiyal, KD Sharma and others attended the panchayat.

The committee leaders strongly opposed the dismissal of employee leader Nitish Kumar, alleging that it was a retaliatory action by the electricity board management due to Kumar’s vocal support for old pension schemes and his opposition to board management’s position on certain policies.

Following the panchayat, a rally was held and a memorandum was submitted to the Chief Minister through the district magistrate.

Next district-level panchayat in Chamba on March 3

The committee members made it clear that if their demands were not addressed in a timely manner, they would organise another district-level panchayat in Chamba on March 3, 2025.

The key demands raised by the committee include stopping the ongoing process of rationalisation and abolition of employee posts, reinstating 51 recently abolished positions, immediate recruitment to fill vacancies and restoring the old pension scheme for employees recruited after May 2003.

The committee members also called for the clearance of pending pension dues and for the creation of a permanent policy for outsourced workers.

They demanded that the outsourcing of maintenance of sub-stations and powerhouses be halted and that no assets be transferred without proper consultation.

TNR