Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 21: J&K Technical Employees Federation of PDD has extended active support to J&K Power Employees Coordination Committee in resenting the Union Government’s proposal to privatise the power distribution sector.
Under the banner of Jammu Kashmir Technical Employees Federation, PDD, an urgent meeting was held under the presidium of Zulkarnain Bhat, Er Shakeel Ahmed, and others to threadbare discuss the announcements made by the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on the issue of privatization of Distribution sector of PDD, starting with Union Territories.
The JKTEF was apprehensive of the move as it will lead to large scale shunting and harassment of employees, who will be declared surplus. This decision, if implemented at this stage, will lead to crisis for the employees in general and more importantly the daily wagers and need based employees who have been awaiting their regularization after serving more than 20 years in the PDD.
The Power infrastructure in J&K needs revamping and this will take time so that quality power is delivered to the households of the UT, the Federation said and claimed that consumers will be burdened by the tariffs prevailing in the private power distribution companies.
“As far as employees are concerned, the Power Department has always received step motherly treatment. The employee were forced to accept the unbundling of PDD 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 but there ever since the formation of these companies, there has been delay in releasing salaries,” said the Federation leaders.
“The power employees are united and can choose an agitational path on the privatisation issue if there is any move to bring it to the UT of J&K,” warned the Federation and extended its active support to the J&K Power Employees Coordination Committee agitational programme from June 1. The Federation also directed all circle presidents to take major steps for highlighting the issue at circle level and brief the employees in this regard.
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