UP power dept employees seek CM Yogi’s intervention; power minister warns of action
The striking Uttar Pradesh electricity department employees on Friday claimed that their strike has hit power distribution in the state but the government said the situation is under control and warned those damaging power lines of strict action.
Power Minister AK Sharma blamed the 72-hour strike that began at 10 pm on Thursday on some “irresponsible” leaders of the electricity department and said it was not in the interest of the employees. He said there have been reports of some employees trying to harm the power infrastructure, citing an incident from Deoria where someone threw sugarcane to damage a power line.
“I have tweeted pictures and videos of the same,” he said. “Those responsible will be found and strict action will be taken against them.”
The employees have sought Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s intervention to end the “atmosphere of confrontation”. They say some of their demands, which relate to “pay anomalies” and outsourcing of operation and maintenance of power sub-stations, agreed by the government in December last year, have not been fulfilled by power corporations even after three months.
Shailendra Dubey, the convenor of Vidyut Karmacharis Sanyukt Sangharsh Samiti, a union of electricity department employees, said in a statement on Friday that the employees had to go on strike “because of the stubborn attitude” of the top management of energy corporations.
He claimed five thermal power units in Anpara, Obra and Parichha power plants have come to a halt even after the government made employees not participating in the strike to work extra hours.
About 1 lakh employees are participating in the strike, according to Dubey.
