Jammu & Kashmir

Kashmir sees power outages as PDD employees go on strike, negotiations fail

A man helps child study under candle light during a power cut in Pulwama, Kashmir. Many areas across the Valley reel under darkness as PDD employees go on indefinite strike against privatisation of grid stations. [FPK Photo/ Qayoom Khan]

Srinagar: As the strike from Power department employees against the privatization move entered the second day on Sunday, the Jammu and Kashmir administration is yet to negotiate with the protesting employees.

Parts of Jammu and Kashmir are reeling under darkness as employees from Jammu and Kashmir Power Development Department are refraining from restoring the electricity in the areas that have developed snags.

Chief Engineer Power Development Department Aijaz Dar told Kashmir News Trust that efforts are on to convince the employees to end their strike but Jammu and Kashmir Power Employees and Engineers Coordination Committee (JKPEECC) maintained that Administrative Secretary Power Department Nitheswar Kumar has not contacted the Coordination Committee yet.

Convenor, Jammu and Kashmir Power Employees and Engineers Coordination Committee, Munshi Majid Ali told the news agency that from lineman to engineer, all employees of the power department are on strike against the privatization move of the JK administration.

In response to a question, he said Chief Engineer is not a competent authority as he is also part of the Coordination Committee which is on strike.

“Let the Administrative Secretary Niteshwar Kumar authorize any person on his behalf, but as of now we didn’t get any response from the Admin,” Engineer Munshi Majid Ali said.

He said the strike will continue till the demands of the employees are not met and a proper plan is not implanted on the same.

Meanwhile, various parts of Jammu and Kashmir including Srinagar are facing power outages due to the strike.

When asked people are suffering due to the strike, Engineer Munshi Majid Ali said if the administration is bothered about people then it should talk to the Coordination Committee.

“Our motive is never the disruption of electricity but, yes- we are not going to restore the electricity in the areas that have developed faults. Except for hospitals, employees will not attend any area in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.

Earlier,  reports received from several areas of the valley said that they are without electricity for the last many hours, and have been informed that the electricity is snapped due to a “technical snag”.

Earlier, reports about snapping of the electricity were received from central Kashmir, Lassipora, Tral, Awantipora, Panzgam, and many areas of Pulwama and Shopian.

Besides, the reports were also received from Nillow, Khull, Behibag, D H Pora, Bogund and other areas of Kulgam district. Locals from Kanihama area and other areas of Srinagar also said that they are reeling under darkness.

 

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