Uttar Pradesh:Power engineers begin agitation, wear black armbands

Power engineers’ main demands include the withdrawal of FIRs registered against engineers for holding protests in Varanasi and other places in the past in Uttar Pradesh, restoration of the old pension scheme for all the engineers recruited after 2000 and others.

LUCKNOW: Power engineers in Uttar Pradesh started their phased agitation by wearing black armbands all day and holding demonstrations in various cities, including the state capital, in the evening on Monday to protest against the alleged harassment by the UP Power Corporation Ltd (UPPCL) management and to press their other demands.

Power engineers in Uttar Pradesh started their phased agitation by wearing black armbands in various cities, including the state capital. (Photo for representation)

“We will begin work-to-rule from October 18 and indefinite work boycott from October 26 if the harassment continues and our other demands are not met,” said Prabhat Singh, general secretary, Abhiyanta Sangh.

“We have served a notice on the UPPCL management, warning that engineers will be forced to resort to a direct action if any of them was harassed or penalised during the agitation,” he added.

Their main demands include the withdrawal of FIRs registered against engineers for holding protests in Varanasi and other places in the past, restoration of the old pension scheme for all the engineers recruited after 2000, termination of privatisation of Greater Noida and Agra franchisee agreements and unification of all energy corporations into one entity.

However, the engineers’ current agitation is also being seen as a tactic to build pressure on the management in view of 23 engineers facing charges of committing illegalities in issuing temporary electricity connections in favour of builders in Noida and Greater Noida.