KSEB officers’ assn leaders rejoin duty

Thiruvananthapuram: Following the conciliatory talks between power minister K Krishnankutty and pro-CPM officers’ association leaders in KSEB on Friday, the association leaders facing disciplinary action joined back service on Saturday. Subsequently, the KSEB management has temporarily suspended all disciplinary actions initiated against the employees under the garb of renewed efforts to manage the lingering power crisis.
“The board is grateful for the successful conciliation efforts and cooperation of the power minister and the board of electricity board officials. It has been decided to suspend the disciplinary action initiated following the protests in April 2022, until the energy crisis is resolved,” a joint statement by the board directors said.
The association leaders had held a three-hour discussion with the minister in Ernakulam on Friday. The minister, it is learnt, had suggested a formula to them to settle the ongoing tussle between them and KSEB CMD B Ashok over the disciplinary action against officials and the large-scale protests against the CMD. It was on the minister’s suggestion that the association leaders who were transferred to far off places from Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam joined duty. They were also asked to submit their reply to the show-cause notice issued by the board management in connection with the strike.
Sources said the minister has promised the association leaders an amicable settlement of the issues at a formal meeting scheduled on May 5. The association leaders demanded that they should be posted back in Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam in the posts they had been occupying before their transfer. However, since such a demand would be practically impossible to comply with, the board may give them postings in some other posts in the districts of their choice.