PUDUCHERRY: Puducherry remains on the edge as the opposition against the government’s move to privatise power distribution and transmission in Puducherry has intensified with power sector employees sticking to their decision to go on an indefinite strike from February 1 in all four regions of the UT, ignoring the warning given by the Puducherry Electricity Department (PED) of initiating stern action against them under CCS (Conduct) Rules, 1964.
"The employees will not attend to any services including maintenance, interruption of power supply, feeder breakdown and even in sub-stations," A Velmuragan, General Secretary of Electricity Engineers and Employees Privatisation protest committee (EEEPPC) said. "Employees cannot be held responsible for any power disruptions and it will be the government who will be responsible," he said. The strike will go on till the government drops the move to privatise power distribution and transmission, he added.
Though the government had moved for a conciliation meeting with the employees through the Labour Department, EEEPPC boycotted the meeting scheduled on Monday.
Meanwhile, to prevent the strike, the government has declared PED as a “Public Utility Service ” from January 19 for a period of six months. "Electrical staff are the ones who do the essential work and they should not be involved in the strike. It is against the rules of work," maintained the government.
According to the CCS (Conduct) rules, employees who take part in a strike will not be paid for the duration of the strike and the strike period will be treated as a break in service and employees will be subject to departmental action, warned the Head of Department of PED.
Now Section 144 Cr P.C has been promulgated in all the office premises of PED, sub-stations and installations by the District Magistrate of Puducherry and Karaikal respectively. The order prohibits employees from causing any disruptions to the power supply or obstructions to the maintenance of the power supply. Any violation will be punishable under Section 188 of IPC, warned the District Magistrates in their respective orders.
Opposition parties to launch series of agitations
Meanwhile, the opposition parties led by DMK has decided to organise a series of agitations demanding that the government drop the move to privatise the power transmission and distribution.
At a joint meeting of the opposition parties, the DMK, Congress, VCK, CPI, CPM and other left parties and others under the chairmanship of Leader of Opposition R Siva and PCC President A V Subramanian on Monday, it was decided that initially they would meet the Lt Governor and Chief Minister and give representation against privatisation and would mobilise the people and hold a series of protest against the Central and the state governments.
"The Centre is trying to privatise the Puducherry power sector and Puducherry government is supporting it. By privatisation of a profit-making sector, the Centre usurping the rights of the state government. The meeting while condemning the move to privatise a profit-making government will also come out strongly against the privatisation," said Siva.
The committee also discussed organising a bandh subsequently to intensify their agitations, said CPI state Secretary A M Saleem.
"The agitation will be held in each and every corner of Puducherry to explain to the people the implications of privatisation. It is not the employees of the electricity department alone who will be affected but various sections of the people," said Saleem. They also criticised the Puducherry officials for threatening the employees to prevent them from resorting to strike. Further, the meeting also appealed to the Privatisation Protest Committee not to let their agitation affect the people of Puducherry, said Saleem.
Former Chief Minister V Narayanasamy has said that Puducherry Chief Minister should write to the Centre against privatising the power sector explaining the various reasons.
Chief Minister continues to maintain silence
Even as these developments take place, Chief Minister N Rangasamy who heads an NDA government in the UT continues to maintain silence, though he held a meeting with officials on Monday. It may be recalled that earlier when he was the leader of Opposition had supported the government resolution adopted in the territorial assembly urging the Centre to drop the move to privatise the power sector, during the tenure of the previous Congress government in the UT. But now he has not come out with the stand of the government despite demands by the opposition parties.
At a cabinet meeting held under his chairmanship a few months back, it was decided to seek the view of employees on privatisation move by the Centre. Since then officials have been moving ahead on privatisation. When the Privatisation Protest Committee members called on Rangasamy a month back on the issue of privatisation, he had directed them to meet the Power minister A Namassivayam (BJP) and Power Secretary instead, said the Protest committee General Secretary A Velmuragan said. However they gave him their representation and requested him to discuss with the power ministers and officials and get back, but so far there has been no response, said Velmurugan.