The PSEB Engineer Association protested the suspension of Harjit Singh and had written a letter to Power Minister Sanjeev Arora, protesting the suspension of Harish Sharma. (Source: Wikipedia)
The Punjab government on Tuesday terminated the services of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited director (generation) Harjit Singh, citing “serious misconduct” in fuel cost management at state-run thermal power plants, two days after it suspended the chief engineer of Ropar and Goindwal Sahib thermal plants.
The termination order, issued by the new Administrative Secretary, Power Department, Basant Garg, stated that Harjeet Singh was responsible for electricity generated at the Guru Gobind Singh Super Thermal Plant in Ropar and the Guru Amardas Thermal Plant in
Goindwal, which was higher priced compared to private thermal plants.
“Despite PSPCL having its own coal mine in Pachwara in Jharkhand, the electricity generated at the Guru Gobind Singh Super Thermal Plant in Ropar and the Guru Amardas Thermal Plant in Goindwal is costing between Rs 0.75 and Rs 1.25 per unit, more than private thermal plants, resulting in losses worth crores to the power utility. This clearly points to misconduct by Director (generation) Harjit Singh. This proves that there was misappropriation in the fuel cost,” reads the order.
Similar action was previously taken against Chief Engineer Harish Sharma, who was suspended with effect from November 1 due to alleged fuel cost irregularities.
Justifying the “termination without any prior notice,” Garg stated in the termination order, “The director’s appointment letter on June 6, 2012, stated that if misconduct is found, his services can be terminated at any time without notice. In view of the officer’s misconduct, his services are terminated as per the provisions of his appointment.”
Garg, who was appointed the head of the Power Department as well as the Chairman and Managing Director of the PSPCL and the Punjab State Transmission Corporation Limited (PSTCL) last week after his predecessor A K Sinha was divested of the charge, had on November 1, suspended Chief Engineer Harish Sharma because “the power generation costs of government thermal plants were found to be significantly higher than those of private plants, even though the coal was coming from Pachwara mine. The action was taken under the Punjab State Electricity Board Employees (Punishment and Appeal) Regulations 1971.”
Sources said the termination came after “dissent shown by Harjit Singh over the government’s move to sell properties of PSPCL, an autonomous corporation of the state, under the Optimum Use of Vacant Government Lands (OUVGL)”.
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The PSEB Engineer Association protested the suspension of Harjit Singh and had written a letter to Power Minister Sanjeev Arora, protesting the suspension of Harish Sharma.
The protesting engineers claimed that the 40-year-old Ropar thermal plant could never compete with newer thermal plants as far as generation is concerned.
A former chief engineer said, “The Ropar thermal plant uses sub-critical technology and its units are very small, with only one unit capable of producing 210 MW. Private thermal plants in Rajpura or Talwandi Sabo are three times larger. Therefore, any action on grounds of higher fuel costs is clearly an attempt to intimidate the engineers, who pose a significant obstacle to the government’s intention to sell PSPCL’s land.”
When A K Sinha was transferred out, it was stated that he too was “not in favour of selling the PSPCL land”. At his place, the government not only appointed Garg, a secretary-rank officer, as the department’s Administrative Secretary, but also gave him the
additional charge of the PSPCL CMD.
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The PSEB Association wrote to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, terming the action “political interference”, and demanded that “instead of an IAS officer, a technocrat should be appointed to the CMD post so that professional decisions could be taken in power generation”.
Kanchan Vasdev is a Senior Assistant Editor in The Indian Express’ Punjab bureau. She is a highly experienced journalist with 22 years of expertise covering high-stakes politics, governance, and social issues in Northern India.
Professional Background
Role: Primary reporter covering the Punjab Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), government policies, and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leadership in the state.
Experience: She previously worked with The Tribune and has played a key role in launching various city editions.
Special Projects:
Abandoned Brides: Authored a monograph on brides abandoned by NRIs as part of the Prabha Dutt Memorial Fellowship.
Environment: Worked as a Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) fellow, focusing on the pollution levels in the Satluj river.
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
Her recent reporting focuses on the legislative strategies and political maneuvers of the Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government:
1. Legislative & Governance Standoffs
"Punjab govt advances special Assembly session to pass resolution against VB-G RAM G Bill" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on the state's move to block the Centre's "Viksit Bharat" mission, which the state claims will undermine MGNREGA.
"Punjab govt doubles down on special sessions, sixth in January" (Dec 19, 2025): Detailing the AAP government's use of special sessions as a legislative tool amid tensions with the Governor.
"Punjab asks 'VIP teachers' working near Chandigarh to go back to border districts" (Dec 16, 2025): Reporting on CM Mann's move to end the practice of influential teachers avoiding postings in remote areas.
2. Political Analysis & Rural Polls
"Punjab rural polls: Why Akalis are likened to dinosaurs in Punjab" (Dec 19, 2025): Analyzing CM Bhagwant Mann's rhetoric against the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) following local body elections.
"AAP claims win in 78% Punjab zila parishads as counting continues" (Dec 18, 2025): Breaking down the results of the 2025 rural elections.
"Rahul Gandhi and Sidhu alike, says Bhagwant Mann" (Dec 13, 2025): Covering the CM's critique of the Congress leadership.
3. Law Enforcement & Bureaucracy
"Suspended Punjab IPS officer Ravjot Kaur Grewal awaits reinstatement" (Dec 10, 2025): Investigative reporting on the bureaucratic red tape involving the Election Commission and the state government.
"Punjab declines to give parole to Amritpal Singh" (Nov 27, 2025): Detailing the state government's refusal to grant parole to the radical preacher and sitting MP.
4. Welfare & Economy
"Punjab government's plan to add more freebies to 'atta-dal' scheme hits funds roadblock" (Dec 4, 2024): An analysis of the fiscal challenges facing the state's flagship food security program.
"Mann leads Punjab delegation to Japan and South Korea for investor outreach" (Dec 2, 2025).
Signature Beat
Kanchan Vasdev is known for her insider access to Punjab's political executive. Her writing provides deep insights into how state policies are formulated and the friction points between the state government and central authorities. Her dual expertise in environment and law allows her to report on complex issues like the "Farmhouse Policy" (Dec 18, 2025) and river pollution with a unique policy-oriented lens.
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