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Himachal power employees go on protest leave

SHIMLA: In response to a call by the Himachal Pradesh Electricity Board Employees’ Union, power sector employees all over the State went on mass casual leave here on Thursday protesting against the State Government’s move to unbundle the Power Board. A number of rallies and protests were organised at many places in the hill State against the government decision.

Meanwhile, the National Coordination Committee of Electricity Employees and Engineers was assured by the Union Power Ministry of three months’ extension before finally unbundling the Himachal Electricity Board. The union leaders, however, have demanded that the Board not be unbundled at all. The original deadline for unbundling the Board was May 31. The union has requested Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal also to stop the unbundling process on the lines of the Tamil Nadu and Kerala Power Boards. The Board in Himachal has more than 30,000 employees and has been running on profit, claimed the union spokesman.

Meanwhile, the CPI (M) Central Committee member from Himachal Pradesh, Rakesh Singha, has pledged his party’s support to the agitating power staff. Describing the trifurcation of the Board as a step towards privatisation of production, transmission and distribution of electricity, he said, “Some corporate houses are impatiently waiting for the dismantling so that they can make an early bid for it. The weaker sections including the common man, students and farmers will be adversely affected afterwards when the electricity tariff will be raised by the monopoly private companies.”

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Himachal power employees go on protest leave

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