VIJAYAWADA: The CPM has extended its support to the ongoing stir by electricity department meter readers, demanding alternative employment opportunities.
In a statement on Wednesday, CPM State secretary V Srinivasa Rao said the party had urged authorities to retain all meter readers and bill collectors in service.
He noted that these workers have been serving for many years with inadequate wages, often under a piece-rate system that denies them minimum pay.
The meter readers had long hoped to be absorbed into the department, but the installation of Adani smart meters has now threatened their livelihood, he said.