DW BUREAU The PSEB Engineers Association has cautioned the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) management that in case of any mishap at thermal plants due to staff shortage the engineers should not be held responsible. The running of all the four units at Ropar thermal and Lehra Mohabbat thermal with skeleton staff will be a disaster. The power demand in Punjab is increasing every day and there is pressure on the PSPCL management to start all the state sector thermal units at Ropar and Lehra Mohabbat to meet the demand. The power demand in the state is around 13000 MW. Regional Secretary PSEB Engineers Association Ropar has written to the plant chief engineer that the existing strength of AE/AEE in the operation circle is just 23 even after posting of 5 maintenance engineers. At the Lehra Mohabbat plant, there are minimum requirements of an additional 8 AE/AEE to run the fourth unit. He said the staff is just sufficient to run two units safely. With this staff, it is practically not possible to run the fourth unit. The engineers are managing the three running units with a skeletal staff with great difficulty in three shifts. The association has pointed out that as per the vacancy statement for the month of May 21 issued on June 15, there are 8 posts of AEE,24 posts of AE are vacant in the operation circle which is responsible for running of thermal plants. On the technical side, there are 5 desk controllers and 14 boiler controller posts are lying vacant. There is no staff to watch the running of auxiliaries and most of the locations remain unmanned. The proposal to hire retired assistant engineers living in Ropar city has also not gone well with the Association. (editor@dailyworld.in)