Powercom Engineers protest against removal of Director (Generation) and Suspension of Chief Engineer
Babushahi Bureau
Ropar (Punjab), November 8, 2025: Engineers of Powercom at Ropar and Lehra Mohabbat thermal plants staged protest gate meetings over two consecutive days against the Punjab Government’s decision to suspend the Chief Engineer of Ropar Thermal Plant and remove the Director (Generation).
The engineers expressed strong resentment over what they termed as the “unjust and non-technical” method of removing senior officers. They said the decision was based on “baseless and misleading” comparisons between sub-critical thermal plants and newer super-critical technology-based plants in the state.
Defending the officials, the engineers stated that such comparisons regarding coal and fuel costs were “hypothetical and far from reality.” They pointed out that power generation in thermal plants follows a prescribed Merit Order Dispatch (MOD) system that regulates which plants operate based on efficiency and cost.
According to official data from the Power Purchase and Regulation Wing, the cost of generating electricity at the privately-owned Talwandi Sabo super-critical plant stands at ₹3.77 per unit, while the cost at state-owned Goindwal Sahib and Ropar sub-critical plants is ₹3.81 and ₹3.91 per unit, respectively — a marginal difference that engineers argue does not justify punitive action.
Speakers at the protests further alleged that the recent actions appear to be part of a “hidden agenda” to weaken Powercom and Transco by paving the way for selling public assets to corporate houses. They warned that political interference in the technical and procurement processes of Powercom is undermining the autonomy of the Board of Directors and could severely impact the functioning of PSPCL.
The PSEB Engineers’ Association cautioned that if such interference continues, it will be compelled to intensify its protest across the state.