Overview
- The Punjab government on October 31 removed A.K. Sinha as power secretary and as CMD of PSPCL and PSTCL, appointing Basant Garg to head both corporations.
- Sinha was directed to report to the Department of Personnel without a new posting, and he declined comment while the minister did not respond to queries.
- Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal sought an impartial investigation into the transfer, alleging improper influence and corruption; the claims have not been substantiated by officials.
- Officials cited friction over engineer postings, tender processes and the minister’s bid to review a proposed 2,000 MW power purchase agreement, which was described as outside PSPCL’s standard procedures.
- The government’s effort to raise revenue by selling PSPCL land under the OUVGL policy faces strong resistance from engineers’ and employees’ unions, and related orders reassigned Arshdeep Thind and Sanyam Aggarwal.