IN RESPONSE to the decision of the State government to handover Anpara-C power project to a private company, the employees of Power Corporation on Monday strongly protested against the government decision in different parts of Eastern Uttar Pradesh.
Though the employees staged dharnas and protests in different parts of this region, about 1500 power employees are reported to have stayed away from offices in protest in Sonebhara district on Monday.
Criticising the State government for handing over public property to capitalists for a song, the employees of Power Corporation and Rajvidyut Utpadan Nigam smelt a rat into the whole privatisation policy of the Samajwadi Party government.
“Out of 1,700 power employees, 1,500 are on strike on Monday in protest against government decision to hand over Anpara C to a Hyderabad based private company,” ON Asthana, Convenor of Vidhyut Karamchari Samyukt Sangarash Samiti, Anpara told HT over phone.
He said 200 employees have been deliberately kept out of the strike so that power production does not hamper. The employees, Asthana said smell a fishy deal executed by some influential people sitting at the top in the government for their personal interests.
“The private company has been asked to finish completion of Anpara C project within 54 months where as the power corporations have been crying that they would ensure its completion in 38 months as done in Anpara A and B cases,” Asthana said. He wondered that whereas Rajvidyut Udpadan Nigam makes power available to Power Corporation at the rate of Rs 1.47 per unit, the same will be made available by the private company at the rate of Rs 1.91 per unit, that too for the period of four months after generation of power begins.
{{/usCountry}}“The private company has been asked to finish completion of Anpara C project within 54 months where as the power corporations have been crying that they would ensure its completion in 38 months as done in Anpara A and B cases,” Asthana said. He wondered that whereas Rajvidyut Udpadan Nigam makes power available to Power Corporation at the rate of Rs 1.47 per unit, the same will be made available by the private company at the rate of Rs 1.91 per unit, that too for the period of four months after generation of power begins.
{{/usCountry}}He said the employees hope good sense will prevail on the state government and do not allow the people to suffer in future for want for cheap power.