After waiting for nearly three years, technical employees posted at Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) substations are finally set to receive over ₹4.27 crore in pending overtime payments, bringing relief to hundreds of frontline workers who put in extra hours to keep the state’s power supply running.
The approval comes even as PSPCL employees across Punjab continue their work-to-rule protest, launched on July 1 over several long-pending service-related demands. The proposal was cleared by the PSPCL’s Committee of Whole-Time Directors at its meeting on June 30, and a formal implementation order was issued on July 3.
According to the official communication, the administrative approval has been granted for the payment of Rs 4.27 crore to eligible technical workers for overtime performed beyond the prescribed quarterly limits.
The payment covers overtime worked in excess of 50 hours per person per quarter from April 1, 2023, to September 30, 2023, and beyond 115 hours per person per quarter from October 1, 2023, to March 31, 2025. The payments will be released after certification by the controlling officers.
The decision has brought relief to hundreds of technical employees, including substation assistants, Junior Engineers (Substations) and routine teammates who have been working beyond their scheduled eight-hour shifts to keep the power distribution network operational amid an acute shortage of manpower.
“We have been working round the clock, often giving up our weekly offs, emergency leaves and holidays. There aren’t enough hands to operate the substations. My substation requires four staff members but we are managing with three. Whenever one of us takes a dayoff, the remaining employees have to work an additional four hours to cover the eight-hour shift. The management recognised only 50 hours of overtime per quarter and even those payments remained pending for months. It is unfair," said a substation worker in Jalandhar.
Rashpal Singh, deputy general secretary of the PSEB Employees Federation, said, “There are around 850 substations across Punjab, many of these functioning with inadequate staff strength. Most substations require more employees than are currently posted. Whenever a staff member goes on leave, others are compelled to work additional shifts to ensure uninterrupted power supply."
The approval of the pending overtime payments has come after sustained protests and repeated representations by employees before the management. While they welcome the decision, prominent issues such as filling vacant posts and addressing the acute manpower shortage at substations still unresolved, he added.
