NHPC Under Fire for Discriminating Against Himachali Employees, Violates High Court Order...
Kullu/Shimla: The National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) — minting crores from five major power projects in Himachal Pradesh — has landed in trouble with its own Himachali employees.
Accusing the corporation of discrimination, the employees have shot off a hard-hitting letter to Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, urging him to intervene and protect their rights.
The Parbati Project Employees Union-III union has slammed the NHPC Chairman and Directors for consistently ignoring the interests of Himachali staff.
They allege that while the corporation thrives on the state’s natural resources, locals are being sidelined, punished with arbitrary transfers, and denied fair representation in postings.
The union stated that when a Himachali officer is posted at the Dugar Hydroelectric Project, it is considered a soft posting, and they are denied the Rs 6 lakh hardship allowance that is otherwise given during a four-year tenure.
In contrast, when a non-Himachali officer is posted at the same Dugar Project, it is treated as a hard posting, and they are paid an additional Rs 6 lakh over and above their regular salary.
Blatant Violation of High Court Orders
In a shocking move, NHPC transferred an employee to the under-dispute Dugar Project — despite a clear directive from the Himachal Pradesh High Court to maintain status quo.
The state government had earlier suspended NHPC’s allotment of the Dugar project, following which NHPC approached the High Court.
The matter is sub judice, yet the corporation defied the court by transferring an employee to the same project, violating judicial orders and forcing the employee to bear extra hardship.
Policy Breached, Locals Ignored
NHPC’s own internal guidelines (Clause 3.7) mandate a 50:50 employee ratio between locals and outsiders at every project or office.
However, this norm is reportedly being thrown out the window in Himachal, with outsiders occupying the majority of positions and local employees being shuffled around or ignored.
Further, Clause 3.16 clearly states that an employee posted in their home state should be considered to be on a ‘soft posting’ — i.e., not subject to harsh transfers unless there’s a pressing organizational need.
In practice, though, Himachali staff are allegedly being targeted and pushed into tough locations, in what employees describe as “punishment transfers.”
CM Sukhvinder Sukhu Urged to Step In
The employees’ union has now appealed to the Chief Minister to hold NHPC accountable and ensure that Himachal gets its rightful share — not just in terms of revenue but also in jobs, respect, and compliance with both state interests and legal orders.
The question remains: Will the state government crack the whip on NHPC?
Will the High Court take cognizance of this contempt of court?
And will Himachali employees finally get the justice they’ve long been demanding?
For now, NHPC remains silent — but the anger is loud, and growing.
Sure! Here's the revised ending with four relevant hashtags:
(Note: NHPC's official Response is awaited)
#JusticeForHimachal #NHPCControversy #LocalRightsMatter #CourtOrderViolated