Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh government has taken swift action following the death of Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL) General Manager Vimal Negi. In response to growing concerns and protests, the government has ordered an inquiry into the matter and suspended two top officials of the corporation. Additional Chief Secretary (Home/Revenue) Omkar Sharma has been tasked with leading the investigation and will submit a report within 15 days after consulting with Negi’s family, employees, and other stakeholders.
To ensure a transparent investigation, HPPCL Managing Director Harikesh Meena and Director (Electrical) Deshraj have been removed from their posts with immediate effect. In their place, 2012 batch IAS officer Rakesh Prajapati has been appointed as the new Managing Director, while Director (Civil) Surinder Kumar has been given the additional charge of Director (Electrical).
Negi’s death has sparked outrage among his family and HPPCL employees, with allegations that he was under immense workplace stress before his passing. Employees have accused the management of exerting undue pressure, while Negi’s family has claimed he faced a hostile work environment. The police have initiated a separate investigation alongside the government-ordered administrative probe.
Today, Negi’s family staged a protest outside the BCS office of the Power Corporation, bringing his body and demanding the immediate suspension of MD Harikesh Meena and Director (Electrical) Deshraj. His wife declared that they would not cremate the body until both officials were suspended, leading to widespread agitation among employees.
The United Front of Engineers and Employees of the State Electricity Board has also demanded an impartial probe into the circumstances surrounding Negi’s death. In a letter to Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the union emphasized that Negi had been working late nights and had voiced concerns about workplace stress. They stressed the need for systemic reforms within the corporation to prevent similar incidents in the future.
