A section of workers of the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco) on Monday went on protest demanding the cancellation of outsourcing of operation and maintenance of substations and filling of vacancies for maintenance posts.
Against the backdrop of the protest, Electricity Minister P. Thangamani told journalists that the State government would never privatise electricity operations. The government had taken steps to withdraw the proposal to outsource the operation and maintenance of substations and fill the vacancies in the sub-division offices, he added.
Employees affiliated to various unions, including the TNEB Engineers’ Union, the LPF and the CITU organised protests in front of electricity offices in Chennai, demanding that power operations and maintenance not be “privatised”. Protests were also held by employees at the headquarters of the Tangedco on Anna Salai.
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S. Manoharan, president, TNEB Engineers Union, said the protests were held against the proposal of Tangedco to outsource maintenance operations in various sub-divisions and entrust the substations to private players. The protest was also held demanding that the administration fill the more than 40,000 vacancies in the field staff category all over the State.
Despite protests, there were not many complaints in the operation and maintenance of electricity distribution in the city, Tangedco’s senior officials said.
The Minister, however, blamed the unions for going to the Madras High Court to stop the recruitment of over 10,000 people for the post of gangman. He said the State government had taken all steps for the recruitment. The Electricity Department was willing to hold talks with the unions but the latter were not willing to come for talks, he added.
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