STELCO Suspends Employee Over Allegations of Coerced Party Member Registration 

State Electric Company Limited (STELCO) has suspended an employee following allegations surrounding an alleged recruitment of political party membership, according to a statement released by the state utility provider.

The decision comes after reports broadcast on RaajjeTV’s Fashairu program, which alleged that STELCO’s human resources department had been calling staff members to instruct them to register for the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC). The broadcast claimed employees were coerced into joining the party and required to submit screenshots confirming their registration as proof.

During the live Fashairu segment, one of the show’s hosts, Amir Saleem, dialed the STELCO HR department to inquire where he should send the screenshot confirming his PNC registration. The individual who answered the call, broadcast over a loudspeaker, instructed him to send the screenshot to the HR department’s designated phone number previously provided via text message. Shortly thereafter, Amir placed a second call to the same number, identified himself as a journalist, and asked the receiver to address claims that STELCO employees were being coerced into registering to the PNC. The call recipient asked the host to hold before terminating the call.

Addressing the controversy, STELCO stated that the suspect employee has been temporarily removed from work responsibilities to facilitate a formal internal investigation into the phone call broadcast by the media.

In its official statement, STELCO maintained that its operational focus remains centred on its mandate as a primary national utility provider responsible for delivering uninterrupted essential services to the public 24 hours a day. The company stated that its corporate time and resources are devoted exclusively to fulfilling these national and social obligations.

STELCO further stated that appropriate administrative and corrective actions will be administered under company regulations without hesitation upon completion of the inquiry. The provider reiterated that its objective is to preserve public trust and maintain consistent service standards across its network.

In addition to the claims involving STELCO, RaajjeTV reported that similar political registration practices are allegedly occurring across other State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs).

These claims come amid broader public scrutiny regarding alleged political recruitment within government bodies. Images previously circulated online allegedly showing activities inside the Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology related to registering employees into the PNC.

The developments also unfold alongside reports and opposition claims alleging that state-owned companies are conducting job cuts to reduce expenditure, with claims that workers affiliated with opposition parties are being disproportionately targeted for redundancy. Government authorities have denied these allegations, maintaining that any restructuring or workforce reduction measures are focused strictly on fiscal cost-containment.

According to figures published by the Elections Commission (EC), the registered membership of the PNC stood at 67,579 as of 30 June 2026, marking the highest number of registered members of any political party in the country.