Perturbed over the power department employees’ threat to intensify their stir in support of their demands which might adversely impact power supply to the customers in the State, the State Government has enforced ESMA (Essential Services Maintenance Act) on Thursday.
The State Government made it clear that strike or protest by the employees of Uttarakhand Power Corporation Limited (UPCL), Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (UJVNL) and Power Transmission Corporation of Uttarakhand Limited (PTCUL) is being prohibited for six months by the enforcement of ESMA. Under ESMA, the agitating employees can be arrested sans warrant. Besides, they can be slapped with penalties for not executing the government works.
According to the senior government officials, the managing directors of all the three power departments- UJVNL, UPCL, PTCUL- have been directed to make alternative arrangements to ensure smooth power supply to the consumers.
Notably, demanding fixing of pay matrix and others, members of Uttaranchal Power Engineers Association, Power Junior Engineers Association, Urja Kamgar Sangh and Urja Officers, Supervisors and Staff Association have been staging agitation for some days. Under the stir, the members of the four associations have been having their mobile phones switched off from 5 pm to 10 pm since November 27. A meeting was held on Thursday between the agitators and the additional secretary at UPCL office on EC Road following which the agitating power department employees said that the pay matrix proposed by the additional sectary during the meeting was unacceptable to them. They even threatened to intensify their stir, inviting thus the enforcement of ESMA by the state government.