Jammu, Aug 13: Managing Director (MD) Jammu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (JPDCL) G P Singh has asserted that suspension of PDD employees, including engineers, will be revoked immediately if the four-member committee, after examination of all available records, finds them not guilty in power theft cases.
He also requested the striking power employees and engineers, who proceeded on indefinite strike from today, to come for talks with him to deliberate on their remaining issues, in a reasonable manner.
Singh, while speaking to media, stated that he had formed a committee on August 12 evening to re-look into the suspension issue, following a call given by power employees to proceed on strike from August 13, 2026 seeking revocation of (suspension) orders.
In all, according to Singh, six employees were suspended and they included two linemen, two meter-readers, one Junior Engineer (JE) and one Assistant Engineer (AE), who is presently promoted to the rank of Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE).
“Suspensions were made under an established procedure for specific reasons, well known to all. Still keeping in view their (PDD employees’) strike call, yesterday I constituted a three-member committee to re-examine the entire issue (suspension). A Chief Engineer is heading this panel while three Executive Engineers are its members. If the committee, after examining entire record, documents or inspecting site, recommends that the suspended power employees (including engineers) are not responsible in any manner for power theft in the particular areas and they’ve taken all possible actions as per the procedure, under the Act, to stop it, their suspension will be revoked immediately,” Singh said.
The committee has been given seven-day time to submit its report.
“Seven-day is the outer limit. The committee, comprising the engineers and members of the same Association (which is spearheading strike), may submit the same in seven hours or in a day. If it (committee) establishes that the entire fault is that of consumers and the power employees have done everything possible to check theft, suspension will be immediately revoked,” MD JPDCL said.
With regard to the allegation of PDD employees that suspensions were made without hearing those who were held guilty, G P Singh pointed out that suspension was a temporary immediate measure to ensure that records were not tampered and it (suspension) was never meant to be permanent.
“They (employees) are given ample opportunity by the Investigating Officer to present their side during departmental inquiries initiated after suspension as per set procedures,” he said.
MD-JPDCL asserted that suspensions were made on the basis of inspection reports of special enforcement teams following receipts of several complaints of power theft in certain areas.
“Reports received in batches pointed out that the meters were bypassed. Obviously, accountability had to be fixed. But if this committee establishes that our employees are not culpable, suspension will be revoked,” he reiterated.
With regard to registration of FIRs, Singh stated, “After my action, I’ve come to know that some attempts have been made to register FIRs. But prior to that I’m not in receipt of any such records showing that attempts were made to get FIRs registered (in case of power thefts). The committee constituted will also look into it and give its report.”
MD JPDCL said the few employees’ salaries, which were withheld in June or July, in wake of comparative poor performance in achieving targets given by the Centre in PM Surya Ghar scheme in Jammu region, were also released on August 12 evening, after reviewing their genuine constraints and noticing improvement in their performance.
He pointed out that Jammu, unfortunately, was lagging behind in achieving the targets under the scheme.
With regard to efforts to break ice with the striking employees, he said that his doors were open for further talks on their new charter of demands as well.
“After the constitution of the committee and release of salaries, there remains no issue for observing strike. However, this morning I received a fresh charter of demands seeking Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) vis-à-vis damaged meters. To frame SOP is a technical issue and it takes time as it should be in conformity with already existing Acts, including Electricity Act, guidelines of Central Electricity Authority,” G P Singh said.
Reference was to the demand of the protesting PDD employees for an SOP for the instructions on billing of such consumers who continue to run the power through damaged meters bypassing the meters, due to non-replacement within three months of such damage.
“Anyhow, I’m considering issuing an order for the constitution of the committee, with the approval of competent authority, for framing an SOP for JPDCL but I need help from the same engineers who are striking. They should act in a reasonable manner and come forward for deliberations,” MD JPDCL reiterated.
Meanwhile, the PDD employees, on the call of Jammu and Kashmir Power Employees and Engineers Coordination Committee (JKPEECC), went on indefinite strike on Thursday, August 13, 2026 in support of their demands.
