HPSEBL Turns into Hotbed Mutual Bickerings and Squabbles, HPEA Slams Chairman’s Remarks.
Shimla:
Already reeling under financial stress and internal disarray, the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited (HPSEBL) has now plunged deeper into controversy as internal tensions between the top brass and employee unions spill out in public.
What was simmering behind the doors has now turned into a full-blown power struggle, vitiating the already grim atmosphere of the state-run power utility.
The Himachal Power Engineers’ Association (HPEA), a key body representing engineers of the board, has come out strongly against the HPSEBL Chairman, accusing him of demeaning personal tragedies and manipulating facts to defend the actions of the controversial Director (Finance).
Referring to a recent letter from the HPSEBL Chairman in response to the Managing Director's concerns about financial irregularities allegedly triggered by the Director (Finance), the HPEA termed the reply “unbecoming” and in poor taste.
The Chairman had referred to events like a son's marriage and a mother-in-law’s death as a “pretext,” sparking outrage among the engineering fraternity.
“Calling genuine life events a pretext not only reflects insensitivity but also indicates the toxic culture of personal attacks that has gripped the organisation,” said a statement from the HPEA, adding that the Chairman's tone reflects the dysfunctional way in which the organisation is currently being run.
Two internal noting sheets are also doing the rounds in the media where both Technical Directors have apparently denied submitting any written complaint about the Director (Finance).
However, the HPEA has revealed that both directors had made repeated verbal complaints to the Managing Director, and now feel coerced to stay silent under pressure.
“The way facts are being twisted, and senior officers are being coerced to issue convenient statements, is deeply alarming,” the association said, squarely blaming the Chairman for aggravating the situation.
Amid rising tensions, the HPEA has joined the employees and pensioners' union in announcing protests in August at the HPSEBL headquarters.
The situation has reached a flashpoint, prompting the engineers’ body to directly appeal to the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh to intervene before the crisis worsens.
“HPSEBL is not just battling financial collapse, but now has become a hotbed of mutual suspicion, manipulation, and personal vendetta,” the HPEA warned, adding that the credibility and functioning of the Board are taking a severe hit.
The spotlight now shifts to the Chief Minister’s Office—will it step in to stop HPSEBL’s freefall or let the internal war consume the board from within?
COMMENTS: HPSEB can be a case study for mismanagement.
There was a time when hpseb had international acclaim for its technical competence. When Nathpa Jhakri Project was being considered by the World Bank for its funding in 1985, 86, the bank had recorded in one of its aide memoirs that hpseb engineers have indigenously executed a project like Sanjay Vidyut Pariyojna so they are capable to execute the challenging Nathpa Jhakri Project also.
Not only Nathpa Jhakri Project, they proved their worth in prestigious projects like Tala in Bhutan. One can only be in tears at current organization situation.
-MANOJ KUMAR, HYDROPOWER EXPERTS
#HPSEBL #HimachalCrisis #EngineersProtest #PowerBoardPolitics
