BHOPAL: Over 25,000 contractual employees of all five power distribution companies will go on strike from April 17, which may lead to a blackout in the state. The employees are demanding regularisation in services as promised in the BJP 2013 election manifesto.
The United Forum for Power Employees’ Association and MP Contractual Employees’ Mahasangh in a joint press conference informed that they were demanding regularisation in their services for long.
State president of the forum VKS Parihar said they were assured by the Bharatiya Janata Party in their manifesto that if the government was formed, they would be regularised. But every year the government was celebrating the victory without paying any attention on their promise. The employees of power companies were working day and night to ensure undisrupted power supply in the state. They were paid half the amount, but compelled to work extra hours.
Mahasangh president Ramesh Rathore alleged in place of giving regular services, the government had terminated 55 employees, which was injustice.
They are demanding the government should regularise them and stop recruitments through outsourcing. The recruitment policy of June 2013 should be enforced.
The employees have warned that if their demands are not accepted they will go on indefinite strike from April 17. This may lead to a catastrophic situation with computers shutting down and trains stopping midway, apart from emergency services, which may also get hit.
