Power generation in all the five units in Rayalaseema Thermal Power Plant at Kalamalla in Yerraguntla mandal came to a grinding halt from Sunday night with nearly 3,000 Genco employees going on strike.
Officials, who had initially shut down one unit (210 MW capacity) for want of personnel to take up coal feeding, shut down the remaining four units in quick succession. The second unit, which functioned with lesser generation, was shut down by Sunday night.
The Power Joint Action Committee members continued their strike for the second day on Monday demanding implementation of 27.5 per cent pay hike. The striking Genco staff, who demonstrated at the RTPP main gate, did not attended duties in five shifts so far. The imported coal rakes which arrived from Singareni Collieries were stopped at Kalamalla and Yerraguntla railway stations owing to the strike.
Employees also demonstrated before the 220 kv sub-station at Sankarapuram here. Power JAC leaders Ramana, Bhadraiah, Bharani Krishna, Pratap Reddy and Vijayabhaskar Reddy said the strike would continue until the demands agreed upon by the management were conceded.
Five thousand employees of Transco and Discom, 3,000 employees of RTPP and about 2,000 contract workers continued their strike for the second day.
Meanwhile, the coal reserves in RTPP were said to be about 3,000 metric tonnes as against a daily requirement of 17,000 metric tonnes. Generation of power could be resumed in RTPP when the employees call off their strike and coal rakes reaches the thermal plant.
