BHUBANESWAR: Amid an indefinite hunger strike by contractual electricity workers protesting alleged job losses and insecurity, Tata Power on Tuesday clarified that no such employees have been retrenched.
Briefing mediapersons, chief of Tata Power’s Odisha distribution business and CEO of Tata Power Central Odisha Distribution Limited (TPCODL) Gajanan Kale said only 374 workers out of the contractual workforce of around 15,300 have been identified for redeployment.
He said Tata Power has no obligations to the contractual employees who are employed by the business associates to whom annual maintenance, billing, meter installation and other such works have been outsourced.
Asserting that the redeployment exercise was being carried out in compliance with regulatory and government guidelines, Kale said, of the 374 workers identified, around 200 have already moved to their new assignments. “We have not asked out business associates to retrench any of the contractual employees as being alleged. The contractual workers on protest have been requested to join by November 15, 2026,” Kale said.
The clarification comes amid protests by contractual electricity workers under the banner of the Odisha Bidyut Contract Workers Milita Manch for over 40 days at Gandhi Marg here.
The protesters are opposing tender-based layoffs, sudden dismissals following changes in contractors and the contractual employment system. They are demanding reinstatement of terminated workers and job security.
Kale said the contractual workforce of TPCODL had increased from around 6,000 in 2020 to approximately 15,300 at present due to the growth in consumers and electricity demand. Across all four discoms, the contractual workforce has more than doubled to over 55,000. He reiterated that no contractual employee had been retrenched in accordance with government directives.