Alleging the State power utility for “helping” the coal supplying firms indulging in “unscrupulous” practices to influence testing of coal, the PSEB Engineers’ Association on Monday demanded an inquiry from the Punjab Government against the current management of State power utility.
The Association has alleged that the mess in the present coal has been created by the “incompetent management” of the Punjab State Power Corporation limited (PSPCl) “which is unnecessarily referring the matter to Government to favour defaulter firm… PSPCl management has a track record of not acting sternly against the defaulting private firms”.
PSEB Engineers’ Association, in its press statement, stated that prevailing coal crisis at State-owned thermal plants is another misdemeanour of PSPCl management as it has failed to act against the coal supplying company PANEM.
“PANEM has been interrupting coal supply repeatedly during the last one and a half year after manipulations in coal testing in favour of firm are unearthed by conscientious engineers at lehra Mohabbat thermal plant,” read the statement, adding that the PSPCl management did not take any action against the defaulting firm and pushed the matter under the carpet for the reasons best known to them.
Subsequently, with the streamlining of test procedures at Ropar and Bathinda thermals, it was proved beyond reasonable doubt that firm indulged in unscrupulous business practices to get coal testing results in its favour thereby causing loss worth hundreds of crore annually to PSPCl, it added.