HYDERABAD: For the first time in the history of the state electricity sector, electricity employees staged a maha dharna in front of Vidyut Soudha on Friday demanding a pay revision commission (PRC) and resolving problems of artisans'.
Coming under the aegis of Telangana power employees’ joint action committee, employees from all 10 undivided districts took part in the agitation.
Hundreds of employees carrying placards gathered inside Vidyut Soudha and on National Highway 65 and raised slogans against the state government.
The Telangana Vidyut employee’s union, which was out of JAC, also joined the protest.
JAC leaders had deliberations with the managements of power utilities on March 10. They included the three bigwigs D. Prabhakar Rao, A. Gopal Rao and G. Raghuma Reddy took part in the discussions.
The managements agreed to implement the long-pending single master scale demand and a basic artisan employees personal pay. Medical credit card facility was increased from Rs five lakh to Rs seven lakh while self-funding scheme limit was doubled to Rs 12 lakh.
However, issues concerning fitment and EPF to GPF conversion were not discussed as energy minister G. Jagadish Reddy was not present.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, JAC leader Kodepaka Kumara Swamy said that employees had voluntarily participated in the protest for PRC-2022. He said that they could not submit a memorandum to TS Transco and Genco chairman and managing director D. Prabhakar Rao as he was not in office during the dharna.
“We will go on strike as part of the next phase of agitation”, Swamy said.
