BHUBANESWAR: The Energy department has asked Odisha Police to take legal action against the degree and diploma engineers of TPCODL who have been staging agitation despite the Essential Services Maintenance Act, 1988 (ESMA) being in force.
Stating that the congregation of agitating engineers in large numbers is not permissible under ESMA, principal secretary of Energy department Vishal Dev has urged DGP to take stringent action against the offenders.
Sources said the degree and diploma engineers had recently staged demonstrations outside the corporate office of TPCODL protesting routine transfers which also led to law and order situation. The TPCODL management had initiated disciplinary proceedings and lodged FIRs against four association leaders and seven other engineers. Subsequently, after the intervention of the deputy chief minister and Energy minister KV Singh Deo, the transfer orders were modified as a goodwill gesture.
However, the protesters decided to take their demonstration to the next level by gathering in large numbers since February 11 demanding immediate withdrawal of the charge sheet against the 11 people.
“This congregation is going on despite promulgation of ESMA which was invoked on October 21 last year and is in force till April 20. Such protests and mass leaves will not only cause huge financial loss and operational inconvenience to the discoms, but also disrupt the service across the state affecting the consumers. Moreover, occurrence of such incidents in other utilities can not be ruled out in future which can affect other verticals of power sector such as generation and transmission,” Dev’s letter to the DG stated.
Considering the necessity of continued operation of the power sector in the interest of the consumers, the department has requested the DGP to direct the local police concerned to ensure stringent enforcement of ESMA over all power utilities and take stringent action as permissible in case of any breach of act by any association or official.