Telangana State Power Employees’ Joint Action Committee (TSPEJAC) staged a protest demonstration in front of the Southern Discom (TSSPDCL) office here on Saturday expressing solidarity with the energy department employees of Puducherry who are on an indefinite strike from September 28 against calling tenders for 100% privatisation of the distribution business there.
Speaking at the protest, JAC leaders G. Saibabu, P. Ratnakar Rao, P. Sadanandam, Venkata Narayana Reddy, Anjaiah, P.V. Rao, Pavan Kumar and others said the administration of the Union Territory had called for tenders for privatising the distribution activity there on September 27. The Secretary (Energy) of Puducherry had held discussions twice with the agitating employees there, but no headway was made.
They alleged that the Centre was trying push through the Electricity Amendment Bill 2022 in the next session of Parliament to privatise the distribution business as part of its spree of privatising the public sector undertakings. About 20 lakh public sector energy employees would go on strike in case the Centre went ahead with its plans, which was against the interests of a large section of consumers including farmers as well as employees.
Salaries to AP employees
Meanwhile, the Telangana Electricity Engineers’ Association has requested the Chairman and Managing Director of TS-Transco and TS-Genco not to pay salaries to 84 employees from Andhra Pradesh as a case on their division among AP and Telangana was pending in the Supreme Court.
Secretary-general of the association A. Rameshwaraiah Shetty said on Saturday that the 84 employees had filed contempt petitions in the Supreme Court against the Telangana utilities and the arguments were completed in the matter and the judgment was awaited. In such circumstances, payment of salaries based on their (84 employees) request would become sub judice.
Further, he stated that the Andhra Pradesh utilities were litigating on various matter relating to assets, loans, salaries and pension of employees amounting to ₹12,940 crore receivable by Telangana utilities.
