The indefinite strike launched by the electricity employees against the Cabinet’s decision on the State bifurcation had a strong impact in the district, with the power supply to Nellore and its surrounding areas being cut off for more than 12 hours owing to tripping of various sub-stations on Sunday.
All the 12 sub-stations in the city got tripped and there was no worker to carry out the repairs. All the 3,000 electricity staff, including the 1,950 regular employees, went on strike in protest against the approval of the Telangana note by the Union Cabinet.
The power employees said that they would continue their agitation as the people were asking them to go ahead with the strike . Electricity Employees’ JAC, Nellore unit, Chairman K.V. Sesha Reddy said that their strike had got a good response from all sections of employees and the general public. The officials said that nearly 700 villages had no power in Kavali, Gudur, Atmakur and Nayudupeta revenue divisions.
Ativists block NH
Meanwhile, the Samaikyandhra JAC activists organised a rasta roko on the highway at Perimitpadu which led to stranding of traffic between Sullurupeta and Srikalahasti during the day. JAC leaders Vanka Srinu and Pamula Bhasker led the protest as they burnt effigies of national leaders.
The police had a tough time to control the agitation, as the striking employees had been divided into groups to enforce bandh and carry out protest programmes . The employees JAC leaders condemned the arrest of several activists for taking part in the rail roko programme at Kondayapalem on Saturday.
7,500 employees shun duty in Kadapa
The entire district went without power from 11 a.m. on Sunday, when all the power sub-stations got tripped owing to a technical snag. Generation of 1,050 MW of power in the Rayalaseema Thermal Power Plant at Kalamalla was affected for the second consecutive day, with all the five units tripping. Nearly 5,000 electricity employees of APTransco and about 2,500 working with APGenco in the district went on an indefinite strike from Sunday morning.
The main 220 KV sub-station at Sankarapuram that is connected to the Southern Grid and other 220 KV sub-stations at Yerraguntla, Pulivendula, Chilekampally, Rajampet, Kodur and Mydukur and the 133 KV sub-stations at Proddatur, Rayachoti, Sambepally, Vontimitta, Badwel and Moolavanka here, also tripped, leaving nearly 200 sub-stations (33 KV) in 50 mandals across the district non-operational.
Also, the railway traction sub-stations in Kadapa, Rajampet and Renuginta too tripped, according to Electricity JAC State convener G.K. Veerabhadraiah . With power shutdown in all the 13 districts of Seemandhra regions, the government is in talks with the JAC leaders , they said. Meanwhile, Collector K. Sashidhar is holding discussions with the Superintending Engineer-Operations APTransco in Kadapa, Gangaiah and District Electricity JAC leaders.
