No work save maintaining supply from June 2, say UP powermen

LUCKNOW : Exerting pressure on the state government to declare them frontline workers, UP’s power department staff have threatened that they will discharge no other duty except maintaining electricity supply from June 2 if their demands were not met.

The UP Vidyut Karmchari Sanyukt Sangharsh Samiti, a joint body representing all power engineers and employees, on Saturday sent a letter to energy minister Shrikant Sharma, stating that at least 200 power employees and engineers had already died of Covid in the course of duty and a sense of fear had gripped all the staff.

“All power engineers, junior engineers and employees, including the contractual staff, must be declared frontline workers. Besides, dependents of personnel who died of Covid-19 should be provided compensation of Rs 50 lakh each and job to a dependent as per his or her qualification. Vaccination shots should also be given to powermen on a priority basis,” the samiti said in the letter.

Power employee leader and all-India Power Engineers’ Federation chairman Shailendra Dubey said personnel in all energy corporations and discoms would do no official work other than supplying and maintaining power supply to oxygen plants, hospitals and public after June 1 if demands were not met.

“We have also served a written notice on the UP Power Corporation Ltd management in this regard,” he said and condemned the management’s “insensitive” attitude towards the power staff.

He also appealed to chief minister Yogi Adityanath and energy minister to intervene to avoid a conflict.