Employees of closed Bathinda power plant to be adjusted in other units: Kangar

Newly appointed Punjab Power Minister Gurpreet Singh Kangar today said over 600 employees of the closed Bathinda thermal plant would be adjusted in two other units.

"As many as 635 employees of Bathinda thermal plant will be adjusted in Lehra and Talwandi Sabo thermal power plants," Kangar said after taking over the charge of his ministry here.

"They will be given appointment letters at a function to be held on Friday," said Kangar.

Kangar, who is an MLA from Rampura Phul in Bathinda, said it was one of his priorities to adjust protesting employees of the plant.

Employees of Bathinda thermal power plant have been protesting against the closure of the electricity unit.

Several power employees under the banners of the PSEB Employees' Joint Forum, Technical Services Union, Thermal Coordination Committee and Powercom had held protests and even blocked roads against the state government's decision to shut down the plant.

In December last year, the Congress-led Punjab government had announced to shut down all units of the 460 MW Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant (GNDTP), Bathinda and Unit-1 and 2 (2x210 MW) of 1260 MW Guru Gobind Singh Super Thermal Plant (GGSSTP), Ropar from January this year. The state government had described these units as inefficient.

The minister further said he will also issue appointment letters to 3,648 new power employees within a fortnight.

"The new appointments include 2,800 assistant line man and 300 junior engineers in the electricity department," said Kangar.

He expressed hope that new industries would set up their units in the state after the Congress government offered power tariff at Rs 5 per unit.