Power staff take mass casual leave

Tribune News Service

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Chandigarh, May 11

Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN) and Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) workers went on mass casual leave today, while engineers wore black badges against a state government’s decision to outsource maintenance of transmission lines of 23 subdivisions.

The next course of action will be decided in a meeting scheduled for tomorrow (Thursday) in Jind.

Subhash Lamba, general secretary, Haryana Power Engineers’ Association, said 500 feeders broke down and workers did not rectify the fault.

The Haryana Joint Action Committee has said the government should reconsider its decision. It has also demanded regular jobs for contractual employees, removal of pay anomalies, and reorganisation of discoms, filling vacant posts and timely promotion.

KK Malik, senior vice-president of the association, said engineers supported the protest of workers and wore black badges against the government’s decision.

About 23,000 workers protested in all circle offices across the state against privatisation policy of the government. The power utilities will pay Rs 22 lakh to Rs 23 lakh per subdivision per month to each private contractor for the maintenance and operation of lines.

“The private contractors will take care of breakdowns and rectify faults, while government employees will collect dues and handle other departmental matters. The authorities should have spent money on recruiting employees to meet the shortage,” said Malik.

Jind: Several employees’ unions, including the Haryana Karamchari Mahasangh (HKM) and Sarv Karamchari Sangh (SKS), protested outside the office of the Superintending Engineer (SE) on the Hansi road here today.

Rajesh Verma, SKS member, said: “It is unfortunate that the government is going to hand over the maintenance of transmission lines in 23 subdivisions to private contractors. Power employees cannot accept this at any cost.”

Power supply was disrupted in several areas of the city because of the strike.

Panipat: Members of the Haryana State Electricity Board (HSEB) Workers’ Union and All-Haryana Power Corporation (AHPC) Workers’ Union protested here today.

Yashpal Deshwal, state vice-president, HSEB Workers’ Union, said: “A meeting of the state body of the joint action committee will be held in Rohtak on May 12. If the government doesn’t revoke its decision, we will take hard decisions.”

Of 858 power employees in the district, 851 were on mass casual leave.

Citizens’ forum submits memo to DC 

Karnal: Satpal Saini, members of the Haryana Bijli Joint Action Committee, said despite protest, neither the government nor the management of the Electricity Corporation scrapped the decision to privatise 23 sub-divisions. Sushil Gurjar, an employee leader, said if the government refused to withdraw its decision, they would hold a meeting in Rohtak on May 12 to decide future course of action. Members of the Citizen Grievances Committee submitted a memorandum to Mandeep Barar, DC, and JK Kamboj, SE, UHBVN, seeking smooth power supply. TNS