PUDUCHERRY: The engineers and employees of the Puducherry Electricity Department are set to intensify their agitation with a hunger strike from June 8, condemning the privatisation of power distribution.
This comes a week after the pen down strike, demanding withdrawal of a proposal of the Central and State government to privatise Puducherry's electricity.
The hunger strike will be held division-wise on rotation basis, without affecting the public by maintaining uninterrupted power supply, General Secretary of the Electricity Department Employees Privatisation/ Corporatisation Protest Committee, P Velmurugan said in a statement on Wednesday.
"We have planned to go for continuous hunger strike, including the bill collectors in head office," he stated after a panel meeting on Wednesday.
The committee recalled the meeting held on February 2, 2022 with Chief Minister N Rangasamy and Power Minister wherein it was assured that no further action on privatisation will be taken without consulting employees, the public, political parties and other stakeholders. But now, work to privatise the power sector is progressing rapidly, Velmurugan said.
There are media reports that the government has given clearance for the move, and the former has not yet responded. The protest panel expresses their opposition to the Union and State governments, said Velmurugan.
The protest committee petitioned the Superintending Engineer-cum-Head of the Department, after the meeting regarding the decision to go on a hunger strike. They requested the government to take necessary action to assure the engineers and employees that their status as government employees will continue, and their service conditions will not be affected.
SDPA organises human chain
Meanwhile, the Secular Democratic Progressive Alliance (SDPA), led by the Congress, organised a human chain on Tuesday evening at ten different locations against the privatisation of power distribution.
The leaders and cadre from Congress, DMK, VCK, the Left parties of the 15-party alliance highlighted the adverse effects of the move which could lead to a five-fold increase in household electricity bills, hike in charges for a new connection, separate surcharges for electrical appliances, scrapping of the 100-unit free supply to the poor and farmers.
They also expressed apprehension that local youngsters would no longer be preferred for recruitment to the PED as vacancies would be opened up to candidates from across the country, and existing power sector employees would be put to hard working conditions.
Leader of Opposition and State DMK convenor R Siva, former chief minister V Narayanasamy, Lok Sabha MP V Vaithilingam, former minister M Kandasamy, CPI Secretary AM Saleem and CPI (M) Secretary R Rajangam were present. This is among the series of agitations planned by the opposition parties.