NEYVELI: Operations at Neyveli Lignite Corporation, which were crippled for two days due to the strike by employees and officials against the Centre's disinvestment move, were revived on Friday. NLC attained nearly 40 per cent of their power generation capacity by evening. The employees, who walked out of the mines and thermal stations by shutting down all operations at 10 p.m. on Tuesday returned to punch in their attendance at 10 p.m. on Thursday.

NLC sources told The Hindu that till 6 p.m. on Friday, NLC generated over 1,000 MW of energy. By Saturday, it would attain the full capacity of 2,490 MW.

It would take nearly eight hours for each power unit to become operational and be synchronised with the Southern Power Grid.

There were 18 units (nine in TS-I, two in TS-I Expansion and seven in TS-II) and these would be switched on one after the other but not simultaneously.

During the 48-hour interregnum between the declaration of the strike and resumption of work, there were apprehensions among people across the southern States that the stir would impact their daily chores.

The management was worried because stoppage of work for a day would entail a loss of Rs. 5 crore to 6 crore. It kept a single power unit of 140 MW going to meet the internal requirements. The trade unions insisted that the generation should be only 50 MW.

The standoff was amicably resolved after District Collector Gagandeep Singh Bedi intervened and fixed the generation at 100 MW.

The State Government had geared up the State Electricity Board to be ready with an exigency plan to offset the losses.

According to S.Rajavanniyan, general secretary of the Labour Progressive Front, that spearheaded the agitation, the employees were resolute enough that NLC should remain a public sector undertaking and any attempt to dilute its status would be foiled.

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