Bangalore: Over 1,000 contract employees from 20 districts, under the banner of KPTCL Vidyuth Vitharana Guttige Karmikara Sangha, began an indefinite dharna on Monday in front of the Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Ltd. headquarters here.

The employees are demanding the withdrawal of the KPTCL order terminating the services of over 3,500 employees who have served in various substations for 10 to 12 years as shift engineers, operators and helpers.

According to a press release here on Tuesday, the employees decided to stage the dharna since all their appeals against the order fell on deaf ears.

T.S. Suneeth Kumar, president of the union, and K. Somashekar, secretary, urged the protesters not to relent till the order was rescinded.

Rebuffed

A union delegation on Tuesday met Minister for Energy H.D. Revanna and submitted a memorandum urging him not to terminate the services of over 3,000 workers.

A member of the union, on condition of anonymity, said the Minister remarked that he had no responsibility towards them since they were contract employees. "The Minister's reaction to our plight reflects the irresponsible nature of the State Government. The Government and the KPTCL are our principal employers. When we approach KPTCL officials, they blame the Government. Who will address our problems," he asked.

Mr. Kumar and Mr. Somashekar condemned the attitude of the Minister and said the sangha had decided to intensify its struggle from Wednesday.

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