The Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) Employees’ Union has urged CM Parkash Singh Badal to immediately look into the issue of recruitments as 23,000 posts are lying vacant.

During their meeting with the CM last month, members of the union said the recruitments were a must to serve the consumers in a better way. They laid emphasis on employing field staff, saying nearly 17,000 new recruits could be accommodated in fieldwork.

“As the field staff members cross 50 years of age, their efficiency decreases. A number of them have gone obese, developed heart ailments, high blood pressure and other age-related problems, which make it difficult for them to climb electricity poles or transformers. As a result, they cannot act on the consumers’ complaints as fast as a young employee can do. If they are told to sit in office, the strength of the field staff further reduces,” said Surinder Singh, president of the PSEB Employees’ Federation.

At present, most of the field staff members are in their late 40s or early 50s. Field staff comprises linemen, assistant linemen, regular team mate, meter reader, bill distributor and junior engineer.

Singh said: “The CM has asked the board to find out the exact shortage in each department so that a report on this can be sent to the regulatory commission.” PSEB has nearly 65,000 employees, down from 1.4 lakh in 1997. According to Swarn Singh, president of the PSEB employees’ federation (INTUC), “A number of technical employees are doing desk jobs because there is a shortage of cashiers and clerks too.”