The power employees have given a call for statewide protest on March 28.

The power employees are demanding that the government honour the promise of withdrawal of penal action like criminal cases lodged against the employees during the three-day token strike.

The power employees have threatened to intensify the agitation if their demands were not conceded.

The power employees’ leaders said that 18 lakh employees of the state government, urban local bodies and public sector undertakings would also join the day-long statewide protest demonstrations.

The power employees went on a 72-hour token strike on March 17. The strike was withdrawn several hours before the end of the deadline on March 20 following the agreement reached with Energy Minister AK Sharma.

The power employees are demanding withdrawal of penal action against the employees and their leaders. The state government had declared the strike illegal under provisions of the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) and criminal cases were lodged against the employees and their leaders. Services of around 1,500 contractual employees were also terminated.

Energy Minister AK Sharma on March 20 had thanked the power employees joint action committee for calling off the strike. He had thanked the power employees for understanding the feelings of the government. He had announced that all the penal actions taken against the protesting employees in the last five to six days would be withdrawn. He had said he had issued instructions to take back the action against leaders and power employees in the last few days.