Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 28: The Power Development Department and allied Corporation employees have expressed strong resentment over the move of the Government to privatize power distribution sector.
Power Employees Coordination Committee comprising of various Unions of PDD under the chairmanship of Jaipal Sharma attended among others by Sachin (Convenor PECC), Ajaz Kazmi (PPEU), Sanjeev Bali (PPEU), Balbir Singh (Draftsman Asso), Anil Slathia (Linemen and Workers Asso), Jasbir Singh (ITI Employees), Parshottam Kumar (CNGEU) and others today while talking to media proposed Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2020 towards privatisation of the Power sector through transferring the asset created with public exchequer inclusive of natural resources to private houses.
The PECC strongly opposes the approach of the Government ventilated through the proposed “draconian anti-people electricity legislation with clear object of snatching away right of access to electricity from poor section of Indian people and peasants”.
PECC strongly resented the announcements made by the Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman on the issue of privatisation of distribution sector of Power Development Departments starting with Union Territories. This move shall be detrimental to the service rights of the 31000 Govt employees including the daily wage and need based workers who have been awaiting regularisation since more than 20 years and continuing to work day and night for maintaining smooth power supply 24×7.
It is pertinent to mention that the employees of Power Department have always received step motherly treatment. The employees were forced to accept the unbundling of the Power Development Department based on certain assumptions that complete budgetary support shall be provided by the Government for the salaries and other dues of the employees from time to time. However, ever since the formation of these companies there have been delays in releasing salaries, promotions are not seeing light of day. There are employees who are stagnated at one position for more than 10 years, regularisation of employees has been kept on back burner, the regularisation of daily wagers and regular salary of need based employees is in limbo. There is deep sense of mistrust in the cadre.
PECC strongly supports the decision of the Power employees in country to hold National Protest Day on June 1 and exhorts upon all cadres of PDD across the UT of Jammu and Kashmir to observe the same at all district offices of PDD and wear black badges while continuing to perform their duties 24×7 during this tough time of pandemic.
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