PDD employees up in arms against Govt’s unilateral decision to privatize electricity

Thousands of power sector employees and engineers across Jammu and Kashmir and other States held peaceful sit in protest seeking withdrawal of Electricity Bill 2021 and to oppose the privatization process of electricity distribution.

The protest was held in Bemina Srinagar, Jammu and Ladakh.

In this regard, Power Sector Engineers & Employees of Jammu and Kashmir under the banner of Jammu and Kashmir Power Engineers and Employees Coordination Committee held a press conference in Srinagar.

The press conference was addressed by Engineer Munshi Majid Ali.

Earlier, Power employees under the banner of PEECC comprising of various Unions of PDD, held protests across both the Provinces of Jammu and Kashmir by carrying anti-privatization placards “No Privatization and No Victimization” wherein the Employees and Engineers sat on day long protest at the Bhagwati Nagar situated PDD Complex at Bhagwati Nagar and Bemina Srinagar Kashmir.

While addressing the press conference, Engineer Munshi Majid Ali demanded scrapping of ‘Electricity Amendment Bill, 2021’ and the standard bidding document towards total privatization of distribution of electricity.

He also demanded that withdraw of the process of privatization of electricity distribution in states and UTs, reintegration of all the power utilities in states and UTs with functional components of generation, transmission and distribution as one entity and regularization of all the Engineers as promised in the SAC meeting vide Govt. Order No- 191-PDD of 2019 dated 23 October last year.

Engineer Munshi Majid Ali as per news agency KNT also demanded timely promotion against clear vacancies at all levels from MD to Lineman by holding Departmental Promotion Committee meetings in all the cadres so that maximum promotion vacancies are utilized. The existing sanctioned strength in JKPDD is being kept unfilled like MD, CE and down the line does demoralize and demotivate power engineers and employees.

Some of the other demands he mentioned included, “amendment and implementation of Transfer Scheme (SO-109) with special emphasis on Deputation and Salary Clause and Pay anomaly issues of various cadres of Power Development department.”

He also demanded that the technician-III who came into department in 1998 continue to remain on same position leading to feeling of alienation and dissatisfaction among this cadre of nearly 5000 employees and needs to be given due consideration.

Ali said that the the Central Government having failed to arrive at consensus on the proposed Electricity Amendment Bill 2021 has unilaterally now decided to thrust upon the Union Territories the privatization plan as it feels that the absence of any elected legislature in Jammu and Kashmir is an opportunity to muzzle the rights of the common people and employees in particular.