Ludhiana: 70% posts vacant, PSPCL officials fail to ensure maintenance work
The manpower crunch has left office complexes, and other infrastructure in a dilapidated state, with leaking roofs, crumbling walls and broken facilities becoming a common sight across the district
With nearly 70% of the posts lying vacant in the civil wing of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL), the corporation is struggling to maintain its offices, residential quarters and guest houses across Ludhiana district. The severe manpower crunch has left office complexes, and other infrastructure in a dilapidated state, with leaking roofs, crumbling walls and broken facilities becoming a common sight across the district.
According to official data, out of 26 sanctioned posts in the civil department, only eight are currently filled. Among 17 technical posts, just four are occupied including one junior engineer, two subdivisional officers and one executive engineer.
Reportedly, the civil wing of the PSPCL central zone is responsible to look after over 19 division offices, staff quarters and guest houses across the district for which the wing has surprisingly only four technical staff.
Dilapidated offices
The crisis came into sharp focus earlier this month when the false ceiling at the Suvidha Centre in Focal Point collapsed during heavy rainfall on September 3. The damage forced the centre to suspend public dealings. Services such as applying for new connections, bill payments, security deposits and replacement of faulty meters were halted.
In another incident, the PSPCL office near Chand Cinema had to temporarily shut its cash counter after rainwater seeped into the premises and damaged the computer server. The counter in a run-down building had become unsafe for operations, leaving residents scrambling to find alternative counters to pay their bills.
“Most of our offices and cash counters are in poor condition, but repairs only happen when safety becomes a serious issue,” a senior official said.
Staff quarters neglected
The crisis is not limited to public offices. The residential quarters in Power Colony, which house PSPCL staff, have also been left to decay. From cracked walls to leaking roofs, employees complain that living conditions have deteriorated due to lack of routine maintenance.
Financial crunch
Highlighting the crisis, PSPCL officials noted that the corporation’s spending is largely diverted towards infrastructure upgrades and subsidy commitments, leaving little for building upkeep. “The free electricity subsidy of 300 units has further drained resources. Whatever little budget is available gets spent on priority infrastructure, while maintenance of offices and colonies is pushed to the backseat,” an official explained.
When contacted, Punnardeep Singh Brar, chief engineer (protection and maintenance wing), said,” The civil wing is facing staff crunch but we are undertaking the essential repairs as per needs. The conditions of buildings have decayed after rainfall where we have addressed safety concerns.”
Deferring the financial constraints claims, Brar noted that the civil wing is not facing any budget issues by stating,” We receive annual funds which are used to carry out necessary maintenance.”
