*Traders hold protest at Talab Tillo
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 19: Leaders across party lines today came in support of the demands of the employees of Power Development Department who are on strike against privatization of power grid stations. They demanded the Government to solve the impasse in the interest of common masses as due to total blackout, people especially patients and old age persons are suffering badly.
Apni Party president Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari expressed serious concerns over the indefinite strike called by PDD employees. In a statement issued here, Bukhari said that a plethora of arbitrary decisions taken by the Government have always resulted in causing inconvenience to the local populace of J&K. Bukhari demanded that the Government should review its decision at an earliest to resolve this deadlock with the concerned employee’s association in order to avoid further inconvenience to the people.
Expressing concern over the situation erupted due to Power employees, National Conference stated that the J&K Government lacks the political authority to privatize the power sector. In a statement, Party general secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar said, “Most areas in J&K are reeling through massive power outages over the past 24 hours as Government has failed to negotiate with the protesting PDD employees.” He asked the Government to look into the demands of thousands of employees of PDD who have gone on indefinite strike.
JKPCC working president Raman Bhalla today appealed the Power employees to call off their strike as people in both Jammu and Kashmir divisions are suffering. He also urged the Government to address the long pending issues of the agitating employees on priority.
Bhalla said it is due to callous approach of BJP Government that over 20,000 power sector employees were forced to boycott work around midnight on Friday in support of their various demands, including shelving of a proposed joint venture between the J&K Power Transmission Corporation Limited and the Power Grid Corporation of India Limited.
JKPCC chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma criticized the Government over the total black out in most parts of J&K, causing great hardships to the general public and the ailing person’s besides badly disrupting the water supply. He said that the Government is adamant to go ahead with its ill designed moves resulting into avoidable deadlock in talks, forcing employees to go on strike. Sharma said the Government should shun its anti-people and anti-employees attitude and revisit its pro corporate and pro rich decisions and hold meaningful dialogue with the employees’ unions immediately.
Accusing the Government for this deadlock, the former Minister and senior Congress leader Yogesh Sawhney said the Power employees have clearly listed their demands again and again and have boycotted their work unless they are accepted. He said the Government should immediately intervene and provide relief to the Power employees with regard to their employment and salary issue. The negligence of the BJP Government is causing unrest among people, he added.
Former Minister and senior Congress leader RS Chib also expressed his support to the demands of agitating PDD employees. He advised the Government to shun its stubbornness and solve the issue by considering the demands of the PDD employees as common masses are suffering badly due to total blackout and scarcity of drinking water in view of strike of Power employees.
Reacting over the prevailing power blackout in the region, former Minister and Senior Congress leader Dr Manohar Lal Sharma said that this reflects the incapacity and anti-employees attitude of the Government. He expressed his whole hearted support to the agitation and requested the Government to agree to genuine demands of the employees and find a solution at the earliest to finish the suffering of common masses due to prevailing power blackout in the region.
Expressing concern over the crisis like situation in whole J&K UT due to strike of electrical employees, CPI (M) leader Mohd Yousuf Tarigami said that Government should desist from confronting its own employees and should seriously consider the legitimate concerns of PDD employees on strike.
Talab Tillo Traders’ Association staged a strong protest against the Union Territory administration for its alleged failure to bring the PDD employees on table for talks as a result of which Jammu is reeling under black out in absence of power failure. Raising vociferous slogans against the administration, the traders asserted that people belonging to every section of the society are suffering at this juncture amid harsh winters and urged the UT Administration to immediately and unconditionally invite the employees’ representatives for talks and resolve the significant issue.
Kashmir Economic Alliance (KEA) has advised the Government to consider the demands of PDD employees, while stating that the stubbornness of both the parties is causing the most difficulties to the people. KEA co-chairman Farooq Ahmad Dar demanded the Government to save the people from difficulties by resolving the legitimate demands of the employees of PDD at the earliest opportunity as dozens of areas of Valley have been in complete darkness for the last one day.
Senior congress leader Sumeet Magotra asked to Government to resolve the problems of employees of electricity department. He further said that due to the agitation of the employees of the electricity department people are facing problems in this cold weather. He said if Government fails to solve to this crisis like situation, Congress will lead a public agitation against the Government by organizing protest dharnas and peace march.
The Communist Party of India (CPI) Regional Council Jammu extended its full support to PDD workers protesting against the Government move to merge JKPDD into the Power Grid Corporation of India and the handing over of the assets to private companies. CPI demanded the Government to immediately withhold the decision and focus more on Public Sector instead of selling them.
Jammu Muslim Front has strongly criticized the Government’s whip on privatization of electricity despite the fact that the J&K is producing thousands of mega watt and has lots of potential. The Front appealed the President of India to restrict J&K LG from passing such orders which are against the principal of President’s rule.
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