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Mahakumbh: Power employees to abstain from protest in Prayagraj till Jan 30
In light of Mahakumbh, UP electricity workers are urged to focus on power supply, halting protests until January 30, amid concerns over privatization.
In view of the Mahakumbh, the Uttar Pradesh Bijli Karmachari Sanyukt Sangharsh Samiti, which has been staging protest against the proposed privatisation of discoms, directed all electricity employees in Prayagraj to refrain from any protests until January 30 and instead focus on ensuring uninterrupted electricity supply for the Mahakumbh.
Meanwhile, the power employees across Uttar Pradesh staged candlelight marches on Monday evening, protesting against the proposed privatisation of Purvanchal and Dakshinanchal discoms.
The Uttar Pradesh Bijli Karmachari Sanyukt Sangharsh Samiti accused the Power Corporation management of deliberately provoking industrial unrest by issuing orders to act against employees ahead of the Mauni Amavasya snan in Prayagraj.
The Samiti also directed all electricity employees in Prayagraj to refrain from any protests until January 30 and instead focus on ensuring uninterrupted electricity supply for the Mahakumbh. “Mahakumbh is a proud cultural heritage of the nation, and electricity is its lifeline,” Samiti convenor Shailendra Dubey said.
Employees, contractual workers, and engineers participated in protest gatherings and candlelight marches in Lucknow’s Shaktibhavan headquarters and other cities, including Varanasi, Agra, Meerut, Kanpur, and Gorakhpur. The Samiti announced plans for similar marches on January 28 in all districts.
Samiti leaders, including Rajeev Singh, Jitendra Singh Gurjar, Girish Pandey, and others, criticised the directive by the UPPCL’s managing director to record videos of employees participating in protests and deny them leave.
“The instruction to videograph peaceful protests held during lunch breaks or after office hours and initiate action against participants is completely undemocratic and authoritarian,” they said.
Despite tensions, the committee assured that electricity employees in Prayagraj would prioritize the Mahakumbh and set a benchmark in power management. However, they condemned the management’s orders as “unfortunate and provocative.”
