Power strike set to plunge AP in darkness

The union is opposing the State Government8217;s move to trifurcate the APSEB into generation, transmission and regulatory corporations. The State Government is, however, going ahead with the introduction of the Electricity Reforms Bill in the Assembly tomorrow, as the first step in restructuring the board.

With major political parties including the Congress, peasant organisations and trade unions supporting the strike, the State Government has requisitioned the services of the Army to prevent breakdown in power supply and also sabotage of installations.

For the first time, helicopters are being pressed into service to patrol the major400 KV power supply lines including those from Ramagundam thermal power station to the city.

The district superintendents of police have been directed to deploy police personnel at all sub-stations and other vantage points to thwart any subversive activity and provide necessary protection to quot;loyalquot; employees.

Special control rooms were set up at district collector offices and also at superintending engineer offices to monitor the power supply situation.

The management has already declared the strike illegal and invoked the provisions of ESMA. It has even threatened discontinuation of services of striking employees and announced that salaries would not be paid for unauthorised absentees during the strike period on the no-work-no-pay principle.

In a press release, the South Central Railway has cautioned passengers that train services on electrified routes are likely to be affected due to the strike. Some trains might run late and there are chances of disruption of services on some routes.

Addressinga news conference here, Congress Legislature Party leader P Janardhan Reddy and MLAs G Venkat Reddy and T Jeevan Reddy expressed their party8217;s solidarity with the striking employees.