BATHINDA: Accusing the Congress government of adopting anti-people policies, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Monday came out in support of the employees of Guru
Nanak Dev thermal plant (GNDTP) in Bathinda and held a protest in town.
The party termed the move of shutting down the 460 MW plant to be anti-employee, anti-trade and against the interests of the residents of Bathinda and surrounding areas.
Former SAD councillor Vijay Kumar organized a protest using thermal plant models, and protesters wearing masks of chief minister Amarinder Singh, finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal, power minister Rana Gurjit Singh and local government minister Navjot Singh Sidhu.
Akali leader and former Punjab minister Sikander Singh Maluka said, "The Congress government has acted contrary to the promises it made to the people before the assembly elections earlier this year. The state government has not only acted against the interests of the public sector by shutting down the state-run plant, it has also gone against its promise of one job per family as after the shutdown many employees will lose jobs."
SAD's former MLAs
Sarup Chand Singla and Darshan Singh Kotfatta, Bathinda mayor
Balwant Rai Nath and former mayor Baljit Singh Birbehman also accused the Congress of working against the interests of the people. All accused finance minister and Bathinda (Urban) MLA
Manpreet Badal of ditching people's interests.
No retrenchment of thermal plant employees: PSPCL chief
Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) chairman-cum-managing director (CMD) A
Venu Prasad made it clear on Monday that no regular or contractual employee of the Bathinda thermal plant would be terminated and assured them not to worry about their jobs. Venu Prasad told TOI that regular employees would be adjusted in the Lehra Mohabbat thermal plant or on the distribution side in the Bathinda zone. "Employees will be transferred out only by their choice. At least 450 employees out of 950 of the thermal plant will be retained at Bathinda."
He said nearly 600 contractual employees would be adjusted in Bathinda and nearby places and not even a single employee would be fired. Venu Prasad said, "I met the employees on Monday and gave them full assurance about protection of their jobs."
