Jammu — In a move that has sparked strong reactions, the Jammu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (JPDCL) has issued a circular mandating all officials and employees to register on the portal of the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana — a central government rooftop solar scheme — by 11:30 AM on July 24, or face withholding of salary for the month of July 2025.
The directive, issued by the Executive Engineer, Electric Division-III (JPDCL), Jammu, and marked “most urgent,” states that the instruction comes directly from the “Worthy Managing Director” of the corporation. The circular explicitly warns that “pay will be withheld for the month of July 2025 for non-compliance.”
The circular, dated July 23, 2025, was addressed to all officers and officials of the division, and copies were sent to Assistant Executive Engineers across six subdivisions of JPDCL Jammu.
The move has caused widespread concern among employees, many of whom feel coerced into participating in a government scheme that is voluntary in nature for the general public. Several employees, speaking on condition of anonymity, expressed shock that their constitutional right to salary was being linked to a non-statutory scheme registration, which in this case appears aimed more at boosting scheme numbers than achieving real policy outcomes.
Legal experts also raised red flags. “A public sector employer cannot arbitrarily withhold salary for non-enrolment in a welfare scheme, especially one that has no binding condition attached to employment,” said a former senior bureaucrat familiar with service rules. “This could amount to coercion and abuse of administrative power.”
The PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, launched by the Government of India in 2024, aims to promote solar rooftop installations among households by providing financial subsidies and interest-free loans. The program is largely voluntary, and meant to be opt-in for willing citizens who meet the eligibility criteria.
While JPDCL has been encouraging residential and government building rooftop solar adoption as part of national targets, experts say pushing employees with threats of financial penalty may violate ethical and administrative norms.
Despite the clear implications of the directive, senior JPDCL officials, including the Managing Director, have not issued any clarification on whether the order represents an official policy or a unilateral move by a local division office.
The Power Development Department (PDD) of Jammu & Kashmir has also not responded to requests for clarification on whether such coercive enforcement is being encouraged at a wider level.
Employees’ unions are reportedly considering raising the matter with the Chief Secretary and the Lieutenant Governor’s office, arguing that compliance with renewable energy initiatives should be encouraged through awareness and incentives, not threats and penalties.
“There is no question of being against renewable energy or the PM’s schemes. But using the threat of salary cuts for pushing registration is an unacceptable abuse of power,” said a representative of a power engineers’ union.
Comments are closed.