Ahead of the call for two-day State-wide strike by employee unions of power discoms in Haryana, the State Government on Friday enforced the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) in the State for six months prohibiting the employees to go on proposed strike on June 29 and 30.
The orders were issued by State Chief Secretary’s office on Friday.
Haryana Additional Chief Secretary, Home, Ram Niwas, while talking to the mediapersons said that ESMA has been imposed in the State for the next six months, prohibiting the employees of Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam limited, Haryana Power Generation Corporation limited, Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam limited and Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam to go on strike during this period.
The prohibition on strike by the employees of the said corporations is in public interest, he said adding that the strike would adversely affect the generation and maintenance of supply of electricity which is an essential service to the community.
He added that the Government is open for holding talks with the employee unions of power discoms to redress their grievances.
The joint action committee of power utilities have called for two days strike against the privatisation of the Power Department. Following the imposition of ESMA for six months, the employee unions have announced to continue with the proposed strike on June 29 and 30 and termed the Government’s move to impose ESMA as “unethical”.
The employee unions are protesting against the hiring of private contractors for the maintenance and operations of 11-KV and low-tension (lT) transmission lines in 23 subdivisions of the State and have demanded that the State Government should withdraw its decision to privatise the power distribution companies (discoms). The unions are also demanding regularisation of contractual staff, removal of pay anomalies, reorganisation of the power discoms and filling of vacant posts on annual basis and timely promotion.
All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF) have also strongly opposed the move of privatisation of power sector in Haryana and had recently wrote to the Chief Minister to hold talks with power workers for amicable solution of their problems so that proposed two days strike is avoided.
Earlier, the employees of power utilities went on strike in May following which electricity supply was badly hit across the State.
Notably, the losses of State power discoms have increased from Rs1,030 crore in 2004-05 to Rs26,912 crore in 2013-14 in Haryana.
As per the agreement with private contractors, the power utilities will pay Rs22 lakh to Rs23 lakh per subdivision per month to each private contractor for the maintenance and operation of lines in the State. The private contractors will take care of breakdowns and rectify faults, while government employees will collect dues and handle other departmental issues.
Meanwhile, the State Government has directed the senior police officials and deputy commissioners of the State to take strict action against the discom workers if they observe the proposed strike.
The Government has also directed these officers to make necessary arrangements to ensure uninterrupted power supply during the proposed strike by discom workers. A day before, the police officials and DCs were asked to draw an action plan to deal with any untoward incident during the proposed strike.