Govt urges protesters to end faceoff
Jammu: The parts of Jammu and Kashmir witnessed black out yet again on Sunday due to power crisis in view of ongoing indefinite strike of the Power Development Department employees that has entered the second day.
The pen down and tool down strike started from Friday midnight.
However, Jammu Divisional Commissioner Dr Raghav Langer will be holding fresh round of talks with the protesting PDD employees as stalemate continued due to dialogue failure earlier. The employees alleged that the government has failed in addressing their issues.
Meanwhile, protests were staged in many parts of the Union Territory due to power failure that remained hit from Friday midnight. The protestors have appealed to the Jammu and Kashmir administration to consider the demands of the agitating employees for early restoration of the electricity as people are facing many hardships due to power failure.
The PDD employees have refused to resume their work and repair any fault unless the demands are met.
Chairman, Jammu and Kashmir Power Employees Coordination Committee (JKPECC) Jaipal Sharma said that all the unions and associations from Linemen to senior Engineers across J&K are on indefinite strike as the stalemate continues because several round of talks with the Government has failed. “We will continue to agitate until our demands are considered,” said the Chairman.
Flanked by Committee convenor Sachin Tickoo, he said that the intent of the government is not serious in addressing issues such as scrapping of joint venture of JKPTCL and PGCIL, delinking of salary of Employees on deputation to PDD corporations from Grant In Aid and routing through treasury directly with earlier mechanism, failure to address the recommendations of the unbundling committee which formed basis of corporations.
“We demand white paper on non creations, regularisation of engineers and PDL TDL and Casual labours and also on service conditions of Employees on deputation to CVPPP,” said the leaders.
“We have sent many representations to the Government and also senior officers of the department and held series of meetings on earlier occasions, but they have remained unmoved to the genuine and justified demands of the employees,” he said.
However, many parts of the Union Territory witnessed ‘black out’ due to snapped power supply adding to the woes of common man.
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Government after fresh round of dialogue have requested the agitating employees of Power Development Department to end the strike.
PDD employees are on indefinite strike from Friday midnight pressing government to consider their demands.
“The Government of J&K, taking a sympathetic view of the issues raised, has engaged in several round of talks with Coordination Committee of the Power Employees,” official spokesman said.
The spokesman said that in the wake of Covid contagion and nail-biting cold in both the divisions, the Coordination Committee of the Power Employees has been requested to end its strike.
He said that the Government has already agreed on two of their major demands – putting on hold the proposal for formation of JV and delay in salary is immediately resolved.
“During each round of talks, the government representatives have appealed to the power employees to call off their strike as people in both Jammu and Kashmir divisions are suffering,” he said. (UNI)
