Raj KUmar Tiwari, President, Theka and Outsource Employees Union
Breaking: Thermal Plant strike ends; Workers leaders say 'Bureaucrat Chairman resolved what Technocrat Chairman could not'
Contractual, outsourced workers call off strike; Smooth and efficient functioning of Punjab's Thermal Power Plants to Continue
Babushahi Bureau
Patiala (Punjab), July 1, 2026:Contractual and outsourced workers at Punjab's thermal power plants in Ropar and Lehra Mohabbat have called off their strike after the Punjab Government agreed to address their long-pending demands.
The decision is expected to ensure the smooth and uninterrupted functioning of the state's thermal power plants, particularly during the peak power demand season. Although the plants remained operational during the agitation, the end of the strike is expected to improve operational efficiency.
The workers' unions said the decision to withdraw the strike followed discussions with the Punjab Government and the management of the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL).
Union President Raj Kumar Tiwari said the workers had been raising their demands for nearly 25 years.
"Our demands had remained unresolved for decades despite repeated representations. However, after discussions with the PSPCL Chairman-cum-Managing Director, the government considered our demands, following which we decided to call off the strike," he said.
Tiwari added that PSPCL Chairman-cum-Managing Director Basant Garg, an IAS officer, had resolved an issue that previous technocrat chairmen had been unable to address, prompting the workers to withdraw their agitation.
The unions thanked Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Power Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond, and PSPCL Chairman-cum-Managing Director Basant Garg for addressing the workers' concerns through dialogue.
Describing the decision as a significant milestone for contractual and outsourced employees in the thermal power sector, the union said all workers would immediately resume duty, restoring normal operations at the Ropar and Lehra Mohabbat thermal power plants.