Shimla, December 31
Employees and engineers of the Himachal Pradesh Electricity Board today went on a symbolic strike for one hour in protest against the decision of the central government to privatize the Chandigarh Electricity Department. The Joint Front today boycotted work for one hour on the call of the National Coordination Committee of Electricity Employees and Engineers (NCCOEEE) and said that the transfer of the Chandigarh electricity department to private hands will also affect the neighboring states, and the industrial sector of Himachal Pradesh will be targeted by the corporations.
The Employees and Engineers Joint Front of the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board (HPSEB) supported the struggle of the electricity employees of Chandigarh and warned that this move will have a deep impact on the neighboring states and Himachal Pradesh as well. Joint Front co-convener Hiralal Verma said that handing over the Chandigarh electricity department to a private company will also affect the industrial areas of Himachal Pradesh. He said that the government is also planning to divide the electricity board into three parts in Himachal, which will directly affect the rural consumers.
The employees are also angry over the non-restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS). The Joint Front accused Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu of not wanting to implement OPS, due to which thousands of employees are suffering. Apart from this, there is anger among the employees due to the decision to abolish the posts of drivers and engineers, kept on outsourcing. The Joint Front has indicated that a big movement of electricity employees will start after winter. The employees say that the policies of the government are not only violating their rights but are also conspiring to hand over the power sector to private companies.
Hiralal Verma said that the electricity employees of Himachal Pradesh stand with the National Coordination Committee of Electricity Employees and Engineers (NCCOEEE) at the national level and will oppose privatization at every level. This demonstration has increased the pressure on the government. The employees are demanding that the power sector be saved from privatization, and OPS should be implemented as soon as possible.
