Chief Minister chairs key review meeting with Administrative Secretaries and Deputy Commissioners to assess arrangements for three-day statewide strike by power employee unions
Chandigarh, October 21- Haryana Chief Minister Sh. Nayab Singh Saini said the State Government stands firmly with power employees and will strongly represent their case before the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity (APTEL) against HERC’s decision to grant a private company a licence to supply electricity in Gurugram and Nuh. He said the Government is ready to engage lawyers trusted by the power unions to pursue the case. Reiterating that the Government’s doors are always open for dialogue, he appealed to the unions to defer their strike in the public interest.
The Chief Minister was chairing a key review meeting with Administrative Secretaries at the Haryana Civil Secretariat on Wednesday to assess arrangements for the three-day statewide strike called by the Haryana Power Employees and Engineers Joint Struggle Front. Deputy Commissioners of all districts joined the meeting online. Energy Minister Sh. Anil Vij, Chief Secretary Sh. Anurag Rastogi and Director General of Police Sh. Ajay Singhal were also present.
The Chief Minister said that the Government, along with the power unions, has opposed HERC’s decision to allow a private company to supply electricity in Gurugram and Nuh from the outset. In keeping with the demand of the power employee unions, the Government has decided to challenge the decision before APTEL. He reiterated that the Government stands firmly with power employees on this issue and its doors are always open for talks. He told the unions that, if they so wished, the Government was prepared to pursue the case through lawyers of their choice. The Chief Minister appealed to the power unions to defer the strike in the public interest.
The Chief Minister directed all Deputy Commissioners to ensure that the public does not face any inconvenience during the three-day statewide strike called by the Power Employees and Engineers Joint Struggle Front. He said that all departments must work proactively to prevent any disruption during the strike and ensure that no power installation is damaged. He also directed that drones be deployed to monitor sensitive installations.
He said that adequate police personnel should be deployed in all districts as required to prevent antisocial elements from creating disturbances under the cover of the strike. He added that Deputy Commissioners could also enlist technical staff working in different departments, employees working in industries and final-year students of polytechnic colleges and ITIs to help maintain smooth power supply. However, they must be provided with safety kits before being assigned work, and all safety measures must be followed.
Sh. Nayab Singh Saini directed all Deputy Commissioners to constitute district-level committees to submit regular reports to the high-level committee headed by the Chief Secretary in Chandigarh. Deputy Commissioners should remain in contact with headquarters through hotline numbers, while separate control room numbers should be publicised to receive complaints from the public.
The Chief Minister said that disturbances under the cover of the power employee unions’ strike would not be tolerated under any circumstances. Strict legal action would be taken against any antisocial element attempting to damage a power station or power grid, as such acts would amount to a waste of public money, which the Government would not tolerate.
In view of the festive season, the Chief Minister directed officials to make arrangements to ensure that the public does not face inconvenience because of the strike. He also directed that services provided by all other departments continue uninterrupted. He issued further necessary directions to Deputy Commissioners and other officials to minimise the impact of the strike.
Energy Minister Sh. Anil Vij said that HERC is an independent regulator under the Central Government. He said that the Government had not invited applications for granting a licence to a private company to supply electricity in Haryana. HERC’s regulations provide for companies to apply for such a licence. The Government, along with the Engineers’ Association, has opposed the grant of a licence to the private company from the outset and will appeal against the decision. He said that the power unions could bring any suggestions or possible course of action to the Government’s notice so that both sides could jointly pursue the case more effectively.
Director General of Police Sh. Ajay Singhal said that adequate security measures had been put in place for the strike. A total of 6,230 police personnel had been deployed at 1,015 locations across all districts. Police would take prompt action on complaints received on the number 1501. He said that police control rooms and helpline numbers had also been established in all districts and security arrangements were being reviewed continuously. All police officers had been directed to ensure foolproof security arrangements during the strike.
Commissioner and Secretary, Energy Department, Smt. Ashima Brar said that the Haryana Power Employees and Engineers Joint Struggle Front had called the three-day strike with only one day’s notice. To ensure that the public does not face difficulties during the strike, the department would enlist the services of retired employees and power employees from neighbouring states. She said that director-level officers would be stationed at the control room set up by the department. The strike would also be videographed, and comprehensive arrangements had been made to deal with it. Officers had also been assigned duties to ensure the availability of electricity and water.
