The Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL), also known as Mahavitaran, said that electricity supply across the state will remain uninterrupted despite the start of a 72-hour strike by a section of its workforce on Thursday, reported the PTI.
According to a statement issued by MSEDCL, around 62 per cent of engineers, officers and employees did not take part in the “illegal” strike, and emergency arrangements ensured that consumers experienced no major disruption in services.
MSEDCL noted that despite having taken a positive stance on the demands raised by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) representing seven power employee unions and even providing written assurances, the strike was still carried out.
As electricity is classified as an essential service, the government invoked the Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act (MESMA), rendering the strike unlawful.
“Approximately 62 per cent of employees reported for duty, supported by over 20,000 external technical personnel. Emergency control rooms have been activated at Mahavitaran`s Mumbai headquarters and at regional offices to monitor supply continuously,” Mahavitaran said, according to the PTI.
Additional manpower from contract staff, non-striking employees, and registered contractors has been deployed to local offices and substations. Consumers facing power issues have been advised to use central helplines and customer service centres, it said.
MSEDCL further said that all employee leaves have been cancelled, barring serious medical or personal emergencies. Those already on leave have been asked to report back to work immediately.
“Teams are working round-the-clock to manage any disruptions. Consumers are advised not to trust misleading information regarding outages,” MSEDCL stated, as per the PTI.
The strike was called in opposition to perceived privatisation and restructuring plans. However, MSEDCL strongly denied these claims.
Senior officials, including Additional Chief Secretary Abha Shukla and MSEDCL CMD Lokesh Chandra, held meetings with union leaders to clarify that no privatisation was planned. The allegation that 329 substations would be outsourced was also refuted.
To address employee concerns, MSEDCL highlighted recent improvements including creation of two new division offices, establishment of 37 sub-divisions and 30 branch offices, recruitment of 876 new technical and engineering posts and that no existing posts would be cut, and reservations and staffing structures would remain unchanged.
MSEDCL also warned of strict disciplinary action against the participation in the strike stating that the newly recruited staff (less than one year) may face termination, contract workers within their first three years may have contracts cancelled and the permanent employees risk suspension or service breaks.
It said that the emergency support have been ramped up, including deployment of standby personnel, equipment, and vehicles. Special priority is being given to maintain electricity for critical services such as hospitals, water supply schemes, mobile towers, and government offices, the news agency reported.
If any outages occur, alternative supply arrangements will be activated immediately, the MSEDCL assured.
(with PTI inputs)
