Electricity Employees Holds Protest Rallies In front of Electricity Offices

By Samamchar Digital News

Chandigarh 20^th September:- The Electricity Employees of Chandigarh under the banner of the U.T. Powermen Union, Chandigarh today i.e. on dated 20.09.2019 held massive protest rallies before the electricity offices of Sector-15, 20, 23, Chandigarh. The rallies were held against the proposal of Chandigarh Administration to privatize the pro/fit earning and well running U.T. Electricity Wing of Engineering Department, Chandigarh and also against the negative and adamant attitude of the authorities of the Engineering Department, Chandigarh towards the long pending genuine demands of the electricity employees.

Gopal Datt Joshi, General Secretary of the Union and federation while addressing the rallies before the various offices strongly criticize the privatization policy of govt. of India and said that on one side Govt. of India time and again highlighting that only sick public sector /power sector which are in loss will be privatized but contrary to the statements and decisions of Govt. of India the Chandigarh Administration is privatizing the well running and profit making U.T. Electricity Department Chandigarh and implementing the failed structure like Orissa, Enron (Maharashtra) and Andhra Pradesh etc. One of other reason of privatizing of power sector was huge loss of SEBs which was Rs. 26000 Crores before the unbundling which was increased now to Rs. 10 Lakh Crore. But even inspite of 100% shortage  of staff and acute shortage of material the Chandigarh Electricity Department is earning approx.. Rs. 100 crores of profit. The department accredited as best utility in the country by the JERC and bagged the tag consistently for last 5 years. Most profit earning department never went into loss despite having no generation and compromising on contribution of states only. Best consumer services despite huge shortage of staff. Ratio of disposal of public grievances is much less than the standards fixed by the JERC. Line losses to the tune of 9% to 10% only, which is an example for the states. Achieved the proficiency level to the tune of 99.99% as per target fixed by JERC and G.O.I. Metered supply to the tune of 95% including slum / rural area. Minimum power outages in comparison to states. Regulating all the power outages and broadcast system of outages to the public domain, thus there is no need to privatize the department and demand that high level enquiry of the episode for which tenders are being floated time and again.

Dhian Singh, Acting President, Amrik Singh, Joint Secretary, Raj Pal, Secretary, Gurmeet Singh, Kashmir Singh and other leaders equally criticized the authorities of the Electricity Department for their negative attitude towards the genuine demands of the employees and blamed that the authorities remained fail to implement the most urgent demands like filling up of vacant posts, amendments in recruitment rules, grant of 9/16/23 Years time bound promotional scales and implementation of DC rates to ALMs engaged through outsource agencies beside others and further blame that the authorities instead of implementing the demands are promoting deputations in U.T. Electricity Department, Chandigarh and also trying to adjust Asstt. Engineers and Junior Engineers from states of Punjab and Haryana ignoring legitimate promotional rights of U.T. Cadre Junior Engineers and Asstt. Engineers and strongly demand that to withdraw the penal for deputation failing which union will lodge strong protest. Sukhwinder Singh, Ranjit Singh, Paramjit Singh and other leaders of concerned sub divisions also addressed the rally and appealed the employees to participate in massive protest dharna on 24-09-2019 being held before the Electricity Office, Sector-17, Chandigarh.