Power staff oppose move to privatise18 subdivisions

Sunit Dhawan

Rohtak, June 29

Employees of the state power corporations are up in arms over a reported move to hand over operations and maintenance works in 18 subdivisions of Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) to private players.

As per the employees’ associations, there is a proposal to hand over the operations and maintenance of 12 subdivisions in the Gurugram circle, five in Faridabad and one in Rewari to private operators.

“The authorities concerned have already started the tendering process to hand over the said works to private parties in 18 subdivisions under the Delhi zone instead of filling the 5,806 posts lying vacant in the zone, which we condemn,” said Subhash Lamba, vice-president of All Haryana Power Corporations Workers Union.

He alleged that the vacant posts were not being filled deliberately so as to outsource the operations and maintenance works in the name of providing satisfactory services. Lamba pointed out that the DHBVN management had initiated such efforts in 2016, but it had to reverse the decision after a three-day strike by the power corporations’ employees.

The union has expressed apprehension that the privatisation of the said works could render contractual workers serving in the 18 subdivisions jobless. The union has decided to oppose the move by organising gate meetings and staging protest demonstrations in all circles under the Delhi zone.

Salaries of ALMs, JEs exceed O&M expenses

As per an official communication pertaining to the Faridabad circle of DHBVN, annual salaries of 245 assistant linemen (ALMs) and 5 junior engineers came out to be nearly Rs 12.45 cr, which exceeded the total expenses incurred on the operations and maintenance activities, which were around Rs 10.45 cr.