The Hindu : Front Page : NLC agitation, bandh hit normal life in Neyveli

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jul 06, 2006

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Front Page

NLC agitation, bandh hit normal life in Neyveli

Special Correspondent

Shops, establishments, educational institutions remain closed

NEYVELI: With work grinding to a halt at Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) and shops and establishments remaining closed, Neyveli resembled a ghost town on Wednesday.

To express solidarity with the striking NLC employees, traders, autorickshaw drivers and transport operators observed a bandh. Educational institutions declared a holiday for the day.

Tight security

Security personnel have taken over the township. Their presence is felt everywhere.

Mining activity and electricity generation in NLC ground to a halt on Tuesday night as about 35,000 employees and labourers began an indefinite strike.

Barring a 140 MW unit being operated with skeletal staff to sustain in-house demand, the other units in the three power stations — Thermal Station-I, Thermal Station-I Expansion and Thermal Station-II have stopped functioning.

Series of protests

The employees are protesting against the Centre's decision to hive off 10 per cent of its share in NLC. They rejected the offer to allot shares to them and staged a series of agitations — distributing pamphlets, wearing black badges, observing work-to-rule and fasting — before beginning the indefinite strike. The cessation of work will starve the Southern Power Grid of 2,390 MW (of the 2,490 MW electricity generated during normal time, NLC retains 100 MW for local consumption). It will affect Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka and Pondicherry.

As per the power sharing arrangement, Tamil Nadu is entitled to 45 per cent of the power being generated in NLC, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh 11 per cent each, Pondicherry three per cent and Neyveli Township, 8 per cent.

Power shortage

The unallocated power is wheeled to any one of these States based on the requirement. Now all these States are placed in a precarious situation of having to make good the shortage. Labour Progressive Front general secretary S. Rajavanniyan said the strike was going on peacefully. The minimal power generation might continue only for a few days, till the lignite stocks lasted.

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