Punjab power employees and pensioners march on the Chief Minister’s house at Sangrur

Thousands of electricity employees and pensioners marched to the Chief Minister’s residence at Sangrur on 28 June 2026. They went under the banners of the PSEB Employees Joint Forum, Bijli Mulazam Ekta Manch Punjab, the Association of Junior Engineers, the Grid Sub-Station Employees Union, the Powercom and Transco Pensioners Union and the Pensioners Welfare Federation. The column was led by Kulwinder Singh Dhillon and Manjit Singh Basarke.

The immediate demand is that the Government of Punjab and the power utilities honour agreements already signed: power-utility pay scales for those recruited after 17 July 2020; pay-band benefits for those promoted after 17 November 2021; Finance Circular 10/16 for Junior Engineers; revision of basic pay for Group-13 and later categories; full wages for contingency workers; pension revision on the 2.59 fitment factor; withdrawal of the ₹200 development-tax deduction; and waiver of 12 percent interest in solatium cases.

The unions placed the filling of nearly 45,000 vacant posts, safety equipment for hazardous work, regularisation of contract labour engaged through PESCO, nodal complaint centres, thermal plants and other outsourced services, and an end to the forced issue of smart phones without a policy — a step they treat as another door to privatisation.

Speakers said dialogue after dialogue has been held and the assurances have not been kept. After the rally the local administration handed over a letter confirming a meeting with the Finance Minister on 2 July. The organisations announced statewide agitation from 1 July and participation in the Punjab Employees and Pensioners Joint Front rally of 17 July.

EEFI stands with the electricity employees and pensioners of Punjab. The same questions — regular work, public ownership of the grid, and honouring of agreements — run through every state where this federation works.