UP Govt declares power strike illegal

A formal notification on trifurcation of the board into separate corporations for power generation, transmission and distribution would be announced by tomorrow, they said

They assured that power tarrif in the private sector would not be allowed to be hiked by more than 16 per cent of the present rate for the general consumers. The government would decide about giving substantial subsidy for powerconsumers in the agriculture sector, they added.

The restructuring of the board would improve its financial health and administrative functioning, Agarwal said. The board had incurred a loss of Rs 10,000 crore and owed over Rs 19,000 crore to the government. But the government has agreed to write off these dues, he said.

He said, the government was open to negotiations with the electricity unions who have called for strike from 8 a.m. of January 15 but already launched quot;boycott workquot; agitation.

A spokesman for the unions alleged that the government has launched crackdown on union leaders.