J&K: Power Department Employees' Strike Continues, Admin Deploys Army Troops At Main Station

Over 20,000 power sector employees had boycotted work around midnight on Friday in support of their various demands, including privatisation and other issues which entered a second day on Sunday.

Jammu Administration, the Indian Army has deployed its troops at main power stations to restore power supply, in view of power dept employees' strike. (Image Source: ANI)

New Delhi: The residents of Jammu & Kashmir staged a protest after the employees of the power department went on strike against the privatisation and other issues which entered a second day on Sunday despite the administration's request to resume work. This led to issues on essential services and total blackout during the harsh winters. 

Over 20,000 power sector employees had boycotted work around midnight on Friday in support of their various demands, including shelving of a proposed joint venture between the Jammu and Kashmir Power Transmission Corporation Limited and the Power Grid Corporation of India Limited, reported PTI.

Large parts of Jammu went on an indefinite strike at midnight on Friday which has left large parts of the Union Territory in total blackout due to the ongoing strike, as a result of which people are facing tremendous hardships due to the non-availability of electricity and water supply, leading to protests by angry residents in Jammu city and other districts who are reeling under severe cold wave conditions.

Employees from all unions and associations, from linemen to senior engineers, decided to go on an indefinite strike after failure of talks with the government, and staged demonstrations in the twin capital cities besides in district headquarters for the second day on Sunday, a spokesperson of the coordination committee of power supply employees said, according to PTI.

The spokesperson said they had presented a four-point formula to the government, but it failed to accept their demands, including a white paper on non-fulfilment of the recommendations of the unbundling report and the failure to create positions as mandated by the committee at gazetted and non-gazetted levels, regularisation of daily wagers and all power development department engineers.

They also demand delinking their salary from grant-in-aid and releasing a regular budget for all PDD employees on deputation to different corporations and a white paper of service condition of PDD employees on deputation to the Chenab Valley Power Projects Private Limited (CVPPL) and similarly situated employees deputed from the NHPC.

 

During each round of talks, the government representatives have appealed to the power employees to call off their strike as people in both Jammu and Kashmir divisions are suffering. The spokesman said that during the nail-biting cold and Covid-19 the coordination committee of the power employees is requested to end its strike.

Reacting to the situation, Union minister Jitendra Singh expressed hope of a peaceful resolution to the issue at the earliest.

The administration is on the job the time cannot be stopped as we have to keep pace with development in the rest of the country. The employees are part of the society and if they feel insecure, it is the responsibility of the rulers to address their concerns and move forward along with them, he said as saying PTI reported.

The striking employees have made it clear that the repairs and restoration work would not be undertaken at all unless the feeder is supplied to any hospital.

Senior BJP leader and former legislator Devender Singh Rana also expressed concern over many parts of the Jammu city as also peripheries plunging into darkness and urged the administration to take earnest measures in resolving the issues with the striking employees, especially during these chilly days.

He hoped that all concerned will act responsibly as the stakes are very high, not only in terms of restoring electricity in the affected areas, but also to ensure that students do not suffer as they are solely dependent on online classes and examinations.

Failure in the power supply is impacting the internet services, he added.

According to an India Express report, Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Dr Raghav Langer wrote a letter to the Ministry of Defence, the General Officers Commanding of 9 and 16 Corps, and sought personnel.

“We would like to hereby requisition the Indian Army to assist in the restoration of essential services by provisioning manpower to man critical electricity stations and water supply sources,’’ the letter reads.

National Conference vice president and former chief minister Omar Abdullah asked the government to leave privatisation decisions to an elected government.

The J&K administration may be able to claim the constitutional authority to privatise the assets of J&K, but it completely lacks political authority. Decisions of this nature with far-reaching consequences should be left to an elected government, he wrote on Twitter.

Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party president Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari also expressed serious concerns over the indefinite strike in opposition to a government decision that intends to privatise grid stations. Bukhari demanded that the government should review its decision at the earliest to resolve this deadlock with the concerned employee's association in order to avoid further inconvenience to the people.