The Madhya Pradesh Electricity Outsourced Employees Union on Monday warned that recent transfer orders issued to nearly 10,000 outsourced staff of the Madhya Pradesh Madhya Kshetra Vidyut Vitaran Company (MKVVCL) could result in an increase in electrical accidents, as many workers are being posted 10–80 km away to unfamiliar areas.
This is the first time such a large-scale transfer of outsourced line attendants, sub-station operators, and computer operators has been carried out across all circles. These include 805 workers in Bhopal Central, 1,009 in Rajgarh, and hundreds more in Gwalior, Morena, and other districts, the union alleged.
Provincial coordinator of the union Manoj Bhargav, general secretary Rahul Malviya, and Dinesh Sisodiya have written to the Chief Minister, Energy Minister, Chief Secretary, and Additional Chief Secretary (Energy), requesting that the orders be withdrawn. They state that no other government department has undertaken mass transfers of this nature for outsourced staff.
In a note issued to the media, union office bearers claim that scores of workers are still waiting for 11 months of unpaid arrears and added that the cost of commute will further add to their woes.
They said that Raju Mewada, a disabled worker who suffered a spinal injury on duty, is among those transferred. Over 300 women workers have also received transfer orders to remote locations.
The union leaders say the transfers could affect data collection, billing, and KYC work, potentially leading to service disruptions. They have also pointed to previous cases in Agar-Malwa where outsourced worker postings led to fatal incidents.
Bhargav has called for a CBI inquiry into the role of contractors. He stated that the issuance of official transfer orders, signed by senior company officials, could establish the company as the principal employer, a responsibility it has repeatedly shunned.