Uttar Pradesh plunges into darkness as power staff go on stir

Uttar Pradesh government has warned of taking strict action under Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) and National Security Act (NSA) against those taking part in the agitation.

Hyderabad: A large part of Uttar Pradesh has plunged into darkness due to the ongoing three-day strike of Uttar Pradesh power department employees against the government’s moves to privatise its power distribution company and regularisation of pay anomalies and fulfilment of certain criteria of chairman selection process.

Electricity workers and engineers went on a strike for 72 hours from 10 pm last night. The strike was joined by around 1 lakh employees, who gathered under the banner of Vidyut Karmacharis Sanyukt Sangharsh Samiti, a union of electricity department employees. Engineers, junior engineers, technicians, operating staff, and clerical and contractual employees are among those on strike.

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The State government and the employees had agreed on certain points on December 23 last year, but several of those changes were not implemented even after three months, hence the employees decided to go on 72-hours strike to press their demands.

Due to the strike in thermal power plants, the units have started shutting down. According to Vidyut Karmacharis Sanyukt Sangharsh Samiti Convenor Shailendra Dubey about 1,030 MW power generation has come to a halt in the State in the last 12-hours. Units number 9 and 11 of 200 MW each in Obra Thermal Power Station were being shut down due to non-availability of employees, he said and added that Units number 1 and 2 of 210-210 MW capacity in Anpara A were being closed.

According to reports, other units in Obra and Anpara power stations were being run by NTPC employees and the Parichha Thermal Power Station was being run by Reliance and Bajaj power employees. In Azamgarh there is no power for the last 18 hours in Pandey Bazar, Arazibagh, Kundigarh, Badarka, Atlas Pokhara, Kartalpur, Brahmasthan and other areas due to the ongoing strike.

Angered by the power employees’ strike, residents of the Arazibag area of Azamgarh staged a protest and demanded the government to restore power supply. With employees not attending work, the government is facing a challenge in preventing power outages and restoring power to places where supply has been suspended.

The electricity workers say that if privatization was done, they would launch a movement across the country against the move. They want the Centre to immediately stop the privatization of Discoms.

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh government has warned of taking strict action under Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) and National Security Act (NSA) against those taking part in the agitation. The government has threatened to sack contractual workers who do not return to work. The government also said action would also be initiated under the National Security Act in case of damage of public property due to vandalism during the strike.