UP: Power department employees end strike after talks with govt
Lucknow, Mar 19: Uttar Pradesh electricity department employees on Sunday ended their 72-hour strike after several rounds of talks between their leaders and state energy minister A K Sharma, saying the decision was taken to "respect the directions of the chief minister".
The protesting employees, who had started their strike at 10 pm on March 16, announced to call it off at around 3 pm on Sunday.
"A number of rounds of talks were held (with the government). We raised our problems and the (energy) minister agreed positively to fix them.
"Respecting the directions of the Chief Minister (Yogi Adityanath), the positive dialogue with the energy minister, and respecting the high court, we have decided to call off our 72-hour symbolic protest one day in advance in view of massive public interest," Shailendra Dubey, convener of Vidyut Karmacharis Sanyukt Sangharsh Samiti, said while announcing the withdrawal of the strike.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, UP energy minister Sharma said the government held several rounds of talks with the samiti.
"I thank the employees of the electricity department for calling off their protest...I would request them to direct their employee friends to resume their duties, especially at those places where power supply was disrupted, be it a feeder or a sub-station.
"Some of the points during the talks were documented. We will talk about those, and make an effort to try to take them to a logical conclusion," the minister said.
Sharma said he has instructed the chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited to withdraw the action initiated against the employees.
On Saturday, the energy minister had issued a stern warning to the protesting employees, directing them to join their duties by 6 pm, or face dismissal.
"A decision has been taken to initiate action against 22 people from the department under ESMA (the Essential Services Maintenance Act). Apart from this, instructions have also been issued to lodge FIR against those damaging government property and obstructing others from discharging their duties. An FIR has been registered against 29 people in this matter," Sharma had said.
According to sangharsh samiti convener Dubey, there are 70,000 contractual employees in the electricity department.
The protesting employees had alleged that some of their demands relating to pay anomalies and outsourcing of operation and maintenance of power sub-stations, agreed to by the state government in December last year, have not been fulfilled by power corporations even after three months.
Earlier in the day, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav asked his party leaders and workers not to use inverters or generators till an end to the 72-hour-long strike called by employees of the electricity department.
"As the people of Uttar Pradesh are facing electricity crisis, I appeal to all the leaders, workers and well-wishers of the SP not to use alternative means such as inverters and generators personally until power supply is restored. The SP will undertake 'bijlee vrat' ('electricity fast') and will stand by the public," Yadav tweeted in Hindi.
The SP chief's tweet came before the strike was called off by the protesting employees.
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LS polls: Brisk polling underway in Tamil Nadu; 12.55 percent turnout till 9 AM
Chennai (PTI): Brisk polling is underway in Tamil Nadu for the 2024 general election with the state witnessing a 12.55 per cent turnout till 9 AM.
The polling exercise that began at 7 AM on Friday amid tight security arrangements is going on in a quick pace in most of the 39 constituencies spread across the state.
The enthusiasm among first time voters was palpable who hurried to find their names on electoral rolls at makeshift kiosks set up by political parties. Several of them proudly displayed the indelible mark and said they have completed their democratic duty.
Authorities have ensured amenities like drinking water and 'pandal' to provide shade to voters who line up the serpentine queues.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, and his wife Durga Stalin cast their vote at a polling station here. Celebrities including Rajinikanth and Ilaiyaraaja were among the early voters.
Leader of Opposition in the state assembly Edappadi K Palaniswami voted at a polling station in his home district of Salem.
Argument broke out between voters and officials in some polling stations as authorities did not allow people to carry their smartphones/mobiles inside the booth.
People belonging to Parandhur village with over 1,000 voters near Sriperumbudur did not turn up to vote till 9.30 AM. Residents of villages including Parandhur are opposing an airport project in their region.
Voters arrived at the polling stations enthusiastically as early as 6.30 AM and waited for their turn to vote, with personnel of the state and central police forces standing guard. As many as 190 companies of Central Armed Police Forces have been deployed. Some polling stations like Kattuppalli (Tiruvallur) however wore a deserted look.
Voting was delayed by an hour in some polling booths, such as the one near Tambaram coming under Sriperumbudur Lok Sabha segment, due to technical glitches in the electronic voting machines and officials said they were attending to it.
Several voters who lined up the queues said they preferred to cast their votes early in the morning to avoid the 'scorching sun,' later in the day.
In total, 3,32,233 polling personnel have been deployed and 1.3 lakh police personnel are on poll duty.
The fate of 950 candidates will be decided by about 6.23 crore voters who are set to exercise their franchise in 68,321 polling stations.
DMK's Dayanidhi Maran (Central Chennai), A Raja (Nilgiris) and Kanimozhi (Thoothukudi), BJP's K Annamalai (Coimbatore), L Murugan (Nilgiris) and Tamilisai Soundararajan (South Chennai), former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam (Ramanathapuram), Congress party's Karti Chidambaram (Sivaganga), AIADMK's J Jayavardhan (South Chennai) and AMMK chief TTV Dhinakaran (Theni) are among the prominent candidates.
Political rivals Tamilisai Soundararajan and Premalatha Vijayakanth happened to meet at a polling booth in Saligramam here and hugged each other. After exhanging pleasantries they also posed for photogoraphs.
Polling is underway in neighbouring Puducherry as well where the Congress and BJP are in a direct fight.
