THERE IS a strong chance that Christmas may be celebrated amidst a power crisis. And those who have a telecom connection from Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd may not even be able to wish friends and relatives.
From Friday, 1.6 lakh officers of central public-sector companies (CPSUs) are going on mass leave. Their demand: revision of pay. The immediate fallout: the country's electricity and telecoms infrastructure will be left in the hands of a handful of senior executives.
All members of the Coordination Committee of Officers' Associations of CPSUs are going on an indefinite mass leave despite a Delhi High Court order restraining the association from doing so.
But Ramesh C. Panda, secretary, Ministry of Heavy Industry and Public Enterprises, said: "IOC, MTNL, BHEL Coal India Ltd and BPCL are not participating in the strike."