Power employees observe strike
TNN 23 July 2009

ALLAHABAD: On the call given by the Vidyuta Karmachari Sanyukta Sangharsh Samiti, engineers and employees of the power department in nine districts
across the state went on a day long strike on Thursday in protest against the state government decision to handover power supply of some cities to private franchisees. Following the strike, the revenue collection came to a standstill and local faults were not be attended to.

A meeting of striking employees and engineers was held at George Town where the speakers expressed discontent over the decision of the state government. Accusing the government of being anti-people, convenor of the samiti, Girish Kumar Srivastava said that introduction of franchisee system has deteriorated the system of power supply in the city where it was introduced. "Moreover, it also caused immense hardship to consumers and it is very shocking to note that assets of the power department are being given to corporate houses free of cost," he added.

Flaying the state government for the above step, another speaker, Jawaharlal Vishwakarma said that instead of appointing new staff the government is handing over the power supply to franchisees which would be opposed tooth and nail. "Besides, the intention of the government can be known from the fact that the franchisees would sell electricity at the rate of Rs 1.96 paise and 2.17 paise per unit to domestic consumers and at the rate of Rs 4.12 paise to commercial users for twenty years," he said, adding that this is despite the fact that the total cost incurred by the government per unit comes to around Rs 4.36 paise per unit.

Presiding over the meeting, Vinay Kumar Ojha said engineers and employees are relentlessly working towards increasing