Jammu, August 13 – The Jammu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (JPDCL) Managing Director, G.P. Singh, announced on Thursday that a four-member committee has been constituted to re-examine the cases of employees suspended in connection with power theft allegations. He assured that suspensions would be revoked immediately if the committee finds the employees not guilty, following an examination of available records.
Information was available with The Chenab Times that the MD made these assertions as striking power employees and engineers commenced an indefinite strike on Thursday, demanding the revocation of suspension orders and resolution of other pending issues. Singh invited the striking personnel for discussions to address their concerns.
The committee, formed on Wednesday evening, is headed by a Chief Engineer and includes three Executive Engineers as its members. It has been granted a seven-day period to submit its report. Singh emphasized that the committee could submit its findings sooner, even within hours or a day, if the review process allows. If the committee determines that the employees took all procedural steps to prevent power theft and are not culpable, their suspensions will be promptly lifted.
Responding to allegations that suspensions were issued without affording the affected individuals an opportunity to present their case, G.P. Singh clarified that suspension is an interim measure designed to prevent tampering with records and is not intended as a permanent punitive action. He stated that employees are provided ample opportunity to present their side during departmental inquiries that follow suspension, as per established procedures.
Singh further explained that the suspensions were based on inspection reports from special enforcement teams that followed numerous complaints of power theft in specific areas. These reports indicated instances of meter bypassing, necessitating accountability. He reiterated that if the constituted committee finds the employees not responsible, their suspensions would be revoked.
Regarding the registration of First Information Reports (FIRs) in power theft cases, the MD stated that he had recently become aware of attempts to register such reports. However, prior to these recent developments, he had not received any records indicating such attempts. The committee’s mandate will also include an examination of this aspect.
In addition to addressing suspension issues, G.P. Singh announced that the salaries of a few employees that were withheld in June or July due to comparatively poor performance in achieving targets set by the Centre for the PM Surya Ghar scheme in the Jammu region have also been released. This decision followed a review of their genuine constraints and observed improvements in their performance.
Jammu, unfortunately, has been lagging in achieving the national targets for the PM Surya Ghar scheme. The MD reiterated his openness to further discussions on the fresh charter of demands presented by the striking employees, including those concerning Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for damaged meters.
The demand for an SOP relates to the procedure for billing consumers who continue to use electricity through bypassed or damaged meters, particularly when replacements are delayed beyond three months. Singh indicated that the constitution of a committee to frame an SOP for JPDCL is under consideration, pending approval from the competent authority. He appealed to the striking engineers to collaborate on this technical matter.
The indefinite strike, called by the Jammu and Kashmir Power Employees and Engineers Coordination Committee (JKPEECC), began on Thursday, August 13, 2026, to press for the resolution of their demands.
The Chenab Times News Desk
