Power employees of Chandigarh move CAT against their transfer to private company

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 14

Seeking directions to the government to secure their service conditions, salary, pension and other benefits, more than 25 employees of the Electricity Department have moved the Chandigarh Bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal.

In an applications filed through advocate Parmod Chauhan, the employees have alleged that the notification dated January 8 issued by the Chandigarh Administration for the privatisation of the Electricity Department, Chandigarh, has put their career and future at stake in the absence of any particular assurance by the government.

They demanded that directions be issued to the respondents to secure the service conditions and all consequential benefits as provided under the prevailing rules and further not to transfer their GPF and pensionary benefits to any other fund being managed and governed by any other head other than the Accountant General, Union Territory, Chandigarh.

They also requested for the issuance of suitable directions restraining the respondents from transferring their services with the private company as per service conditions as envisaged under the Punjab Civil Service Rules. They said there were many vacant posts in the other departments of the Chandigarh Administration and the Engineering Wing, Chandigarh, and the applicants could be adjusted against those posts.

They said in similar circumstances, even the employees of the Chandigarh Printing Press were ordered to be adjusted in the other departments of the Chandigarh Administration/Chandigarh engineering wing as per availability of posts and pay scales, in the eventuality of its closure by the Government of India.

The case has been fixed for next hearing on April 18.

Take decision on policy for differently abled staff in two months: Tribunal

In a separate order, the Chandigarh Bench comprising Suresh Kumar Monga and Rakesh Kumar Gupta has directed the competent authority of the Administration to consider the proposed policy for the disabled employees of the Electricity Department and take a decision in accordance with law within two months. The Bench issued the directions while disposing of an application filed by the employees claiming themselves to be the persons with disabilities. The applicants claimed that without taking any concrete steps to get them adjusted in other departments of the Chandigarh Administration on equivalent posts, the notification privatising the electricity wing of the Engineering Department, Chandigarh, cannot be sustained.

The Bench passed the directions after the Administration, in the reply, submitted that they were already watching the interests of the disabled employees in terms of relevant provisions under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, and the respondents had already framed a policy and the same had been placed before the competent authority for approval.

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