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UP government softens stand on power stir, resumes talks

Sharat Pradhan in Lucknow

With pressure mounting on either side, the government and the striking 87,000 power employees in Uttar Pradesh are exploring some mechanism to end the ten-day stir which has put the state's 160 million people into hardship.

The first setback for the state government came in the form of active support from power employees of at least six other states who observed a 24-hour token strike yesterday. This was followed by yet another jolt in the form of dismissal by the Allahabad high court of a public-interest petition moved by Energy Minister Naresh Aggarwal's confidant Shravan Bhargava. Bhargava had sought expeditious implementation of the government's decision to restructure the giant Uttar Pradesh State Electricity Board.

These developments have boosted the morale of the striking workers who were earlier shocked by the arrest of two of their key leaders, Shailendra Dubey and A K Singh, under the National Security Act.

Perhaps it was the pressure mounted by these developments that led Aggarwal to reopen his door for negotiations after earlier refusing to hold any further talks with the strikers.

"Well, since the employees insisted on having deliberations with me, how could I refuse them an opportunity?" he argued, hastening to add, "but it is loud and clear to everyone that any discussion or debate on restructuring of the UPSEB is ruled out."

Earlier, informed sources maintained that a group of leaders of the striking employees held a secret meeting with Housing Minister Lalji Tandon, who is also a member of the three-member Cabinet subcommittee authorised to speak to the strikers. Some of these leaders belonging to the BJP-affiliated Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh enjoy a close rapport with Tandon, who is believed to be sympathetic to the arrested leaders, Dubey and Singh.

Tandon is said to have played a big role in persuading the employees to give up their adamant stand and return to the negotiating table without prejudice towards the reform process started by the government through the trifurcation of the UPSEB.

Meanwhile, the state government has kept up its pressure on the employees. With as many as 2,039 more workers being sacked today, the total number of employees dismissed has gone up to nearly 5000. But the administration remained soft on arrests, with only 219 persons being sent to jail today.

But Aggarwal's morale-booster came with the return of 1,236 more employees to work. "As many as 22,236 employees, including engineers, have reported back for duty ever since the government gave the strikers an ultimatum," he claimed.

He also denied knowledge of any support to the strikers from other states. "I have personal knowledge that the call by the UP strikers for an all-India strike went unheeded," he said.

Contradicting this, S D Singh, spokesman of the UPSEB Employees and Engineers Joint Action Committee, said: "Bulk of the power engineers across the country observed a day's token strike yesterday in response to the call given by the All-India Power Engineers' Federation".

Meanwhile, the power supply situation remained grim in all parts of the state. Contrary to official claims about uninterrupted supply in most places, reports reaching Lucknow from various districts said power breakdowns have remained unattended for days. Even in the state capital, disruptions are common together with the consequent breakdown in water supply in many localities. The worst affected are students taking various routine examinations at this time.

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