Electricity Board Pensioners’ Forum Reviews Arrears, Raises Concerns Over High Court Order.
Shimla:
A meeting of the Sundernagar unit of the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Pensioners’ Forum was held at the Suket Cinema premises in Sundernagar under the chairmanship of President Engineer K.S. Jamwal. The meeting discussed pensioners’ pending demands, payment of arrears and issues concerning their financial benefits.
The meeting began with members expressing grief over the sudden demise of Chander Singh Mandyal, who had served for a long period as General Secretary of the Electricity Board Employees’ Union and Pensioners’ Forum, and retired foreman Pyare Lal. Members paid heartfelt tributes to the departed leaders and observed a two-minute silence for peace to the departed souls. The members said Mandyal’s contribution to the state’s trade union movement was significant and that his loss would be difficult to overcome.
Addressing the meeting, President K.S. Jamwal and State Deputy General Secretary Jagmel Thakur briefed members about the discussions held with Electricity Board Chairman Prabodh Saxena on October 5, 2026, regarding pensioners’ demands.
They informed that the Chairman had assured the forum that all issues would be considered sympathetically and appropriate solutions would be worked out. They further stated that Rs 32 crore had been allocated for implementing government instructions regarding payment of arrears to pensioners who retired between January 1, 2016, and April 30, 2022.
The forum leaders also expressed concern over a recent Himachal Pradesh High Court order concerning payment of pending pension arrears. They said the court had directed payment of arrears with six per cent interest to pensioners who had approached the High Court, in two instalments, by February and December 2027. However, other pensioners would not receive the interest benefit, which they felt created an unequal situation.
The meeting also welcomed three new members: Roshan Lal, retired rock driller; Chuni Lal, retired lineman; and Ranjit, retired foreman. Members decided to intensify the membership drive.
Several retired engineers and pensioners, including J.P. Gupta, P.R. Parashar, S.L. Kashyap, K.R. Sandhu, P.K. Sharma, Kapoor Singh, Bhup Singh Rana and others, attended the meeting.
