Non-gazetted electrical employees protest against privatization

J&K Central Non Gazetted Electrical Employees Union holding a protest demonstration in Srinagar. —Excelsior/Shakeel
J&K Central Non Gazetted Electrical Employees Union holding a protest demonstration in Srinagar. —Excelsior/Shakeel

Excelsior Correspondent

SRINAGAR, June 17: J&K Central Non Gazetted Electrical Employees Union (JKCNGEEU) today said that privatization of the power sector will result in hike in tariffs and duty on electricity by the companies.
In this regard, the Union held a protest demonstration at PDD Complex Bemina against the Union Government’s proposed Electricity-Amendment Bill, 2020 and privatization of power sector.
The protesting employees and workers demanded immediate withdrawal of the order as the move is totally anti-people and anti-employee.
“The State Government has first unbundled the JK Power Development Department into various corporations and now the entire privatization of PDD would be both anti-employee and anti-consumer move,” State President Muhammad Afzal Bhat Fatehpuri said.
He said that the next step would be a rise in tariffs and duty on electricity by private companies, who are none less than capitalistic exploiters bothered about their profit only.
He added that the consumer services will be badly affected due to handover of state establishments to corporate companies.
The Union said that sixty thousand daily wagers have been engaged with various Government departments of the erstwhile State, and particularly more than 15000 daily wagers are engaged with the Power Development Department only, who have been awaiting regularization and are unpaid for several months.
“These daily wagers are working tirelessly in every calamity or situation, including in the current global pandemic COVID-19 situation. The state administration has time and again failed to provide a comprehensive policy to adjust these daily wagers in their respective departments as per government orders and SRO’s,” they said.
“The department has conducted various (Departmental Promotional Committees) DPCs in Jan-2019 and the orders of regularizing pending daily wagers are not issued yet,” Umar Bhat, Spokesman said.
It was said that since the reorganization of the State into UT, new DPCs have been announced at various levels including divisional and circle units as per the provisions of the electric department.
“But unfortunately the members who constitute these committees are not willing to summon citing vague excuses, to clear the recommendations for regularization and promotion of employees that are already approved.”
The protesting employees also demanded an immediate convening of the newly constituted DPC to clear orders of regularization of daily wagers vis a vis also approve the promotions of the employees as per the seniority level. Since the retirement of employees is happening at a high rate and there is a dearth of staff at various positions.

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