Haryana invokes ESMA as power workers plan strike

With thousands of power sector workers planning to go on strike for two days later this month, the Haryana government on Friday invoked the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) in the state for six months.

The state government has directed all Deputy Commissioners and the Director General of Police (DGP) to make necessary arrangements to ensure uninterrupted power supply during the two-day strike by power workers on June 29 and 30.

The step has been taken to ensure that miscreants are not allowed to stop workers from performing their duties, a state government spokesman said here.

The unions of workers of Haryana Power Utilities have threatened two-day state-wide strike in support of their demand for an immediate end to 'outsourcing' of jobs in the power utilities.

"Treating the distribution and maintenance of supply of electricity as an essential service to the people, the Haryana government has invoked the Essential Services Maintenance Act in the state for six months in view of the call for two-day state-wide strike given by the unions of workers of Haryana power utilities on June 29 and 30," the spokesman said.

He said that the government has prohibited the strike in the Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam Ltd, Haryana Power Generation Corporation Ltd, Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam Ltd and Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam Ltd by any of their employees for six months with immediate effect.

The DCs and DGP had been directed to draw an action plan to deal with any untoward incident during the strike.

The strike call has been given when sowing of paddy crop is in full swing and power supply to agricultural fields has to be ensured.

--IANS

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