PATIALA: Punjab government and PSPCL pensioners demanded that Chief Minister Chief Minister Punjab should intervene to get this matter of their pension to be calculated with a multiplying factor of 2.59 times, as per the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission. The matter is pending with the Minister of Finance and the Cabinet.
Punjab and PSPCL Pensioners Federation submitted memorandums addressed to the chief minister through the Health Minister and MLAs of Patiala and Sanaur , seeking correct multiplying factor.
It may be mentioned that the Government of India and Haryana government revised the pre-2016 pension with a multiplying factor of 2.57 and Himachal Pradesh with 2.59.
Punjab Government has decided to pay an arrears of Rs.14, 000 crores withheld by it in next three years , without amending the multiplying factor of 2.59. Punjab and PSPCL pensioners demand that concordance tables be issued by using a multiplying factor of 2.59.as per Himachal Pradesh and HPSEB concordance tables. Punjab has worked out a multiplying factor of 2.449 against the recommendations of 2.59 by 6th Punjab Pay Commission.
The implementation of clause 5 (1) (a) has created endless anomalies whereby those retiring in junior scales and ranks are fixed at a higher pension than those retiring in senior ranks . PSPCL withdrew the pension fixation as per clause 5.1a, and took up the matter with Secretary Power and Secretary Finance, .
According to senior PSPCL officials , the matter was discussed with the Finance Minister and Minister of Power by the CMD PSPCL , Secretary Power and Secretary Finance on September 30 and October 1, 2024. It was agreed that the Himachal Govt and HPSEB pension fixation methodology and concordance tables shall be implemented with 2.59 multiplying factor.
It is learnt that the Secretary Finance sent a note in this regard sometime in November, 2024 and since then the matter is pending with the Finance Minister and the Cabinet .
It may be mentioned that even earlier, PSPCL Board of Directors recommended to the Department of Finance to allow it to issue concordance tables for fixation of pension as done by HPSEB Limited but the issue is pending with the Minister of Finance.
The Punjab Pay Commission and state government failed to take notice of central government concordance tables for its pensioners issued in 2017 based on a sub- committee report , said a retired PSPCL chief engineer .