India: Power Breakdown in Jammu as Electricity Department Employees Strike Against Privatisation

Around 20,000 employees from the Jammu and Kashmir Power Development Department (JKPDD) have been protesting since 18 December against the government's decision to merge the department into the Power Grid Corporation of India and the handing over of the firm's assets to private companies.

India's Jammu region is witnessing a major power outage as thousands of employees from the Jammu and Kashmir Power Development Department (JKPDD) have gone on indefinite strike.

The strike was called by the Power Employees and Engineers Coordination Committee, an amalgam of all the associations under the umbrella of the Jammu and Kashmir Power Development Department.

They are opposing the government's move to merge JKPDD into the Power Grid Corporation of India and the handing over of its assets to private companies.

The JKPDD employees have decided not to carry out any repair and maintenance work until the government accepts their demands.

They want a reversal of the government's decision to privatise assets, regularisation of daily wages for power employees, and the release of their salaries.

Electricity is a real poll-plank issue now.

For the past 56 hours, the state of Jammu and Kashmir has had no electricity#NayaKashmir

— Shahid Srinagarhi (@HaenzKot) December 20, 2021

Day 4 no electricity, no fuel, no water in entire Jammu Kashmir.@PMOIndia @HMOIndia Please intervene both Indian Army and JK administration have failed to restore power due to strike by PDD.

— Shubham Badyal (@Skyesins_) December 20, 2021

Jammu, Samba and Kathua have all entered DARK AGE (no electricity)

Meanwhile AKHNOOR HAS USHERED.

Toh main yeh samajh lu ki AKHNOOR is a metro city?

AKHNOOR should now look forward to developing its own Navy and Airforce, in case the Savagers attack.

— Keshav Kalsi (@thekeshavkalsi) December 20, 2021

Proposal was to merge transmission and distribution companies with powergrid. That will enhance service delivery.
Who are you to prevent people from getting benefit? Your jobs aren't in danger by merger with powergrid. Though Proposal put on hold already! #Jammu #PDDStrike

— Atinder Pal Singh (@Atinder32707964) December 20, 2021

Have some shame man , most of the UT is in Darkness and you are here sending birthday wishes . Resolve the electricity crises in Jammu .

— Vivek Sharma (@IMViiku) December 20, 2021

So now its been 48 hours without electricity in Jammu. What happened to power would be restored by Army at midnight ? Also why do we have selective preferences, all the areas where the ministers live hasn’t been affected ? @pddjkofficial @manojsinha_ @diprjk @hello_anshul

— WokenIndian (@theflyingideas) December 20, 2021

Meanwhile, in order to restore electricity in the region, the Jammu and Kashmir administration has sought help from the military.

In a letter to the Department of Military Affairs of the Federal Ministry of Defence, Raghav Langer, the divisional commissioner of Jammu, shared that due to the strike by electricity department personnel in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir essential services have been severely affected in the Jammu region.

"We would like to hereby requisition the Indian Army to assist in the restoration of the said essential services by provisioning manpower to man critical electricity stations and water supply sources", Langer stated.

After the letter from Langer, the Indian Army has helped in restoring electricity in some areas.

Yet, political parties in Jammu and Kashmir have reacted sharply over the request for the army to assist in restoring electricity. They slammed the administration for its "incompetence" and the inconvenience people are facing.

Former state chief and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah said: "The army has been called to operate the power infrastructure in the Jammu division of J&K. There is no bigger admission of failure for a civilian administration than to call upon the army".

"It means a total breakdown of governance has been accepted by the J&K government", he added.

The General Secretary of the People's Conference Party, Imran Reza, also added his voice to those criticising the administration, claiming that the strike has exposed its "incompetence and callousness".

"On one hand, the livelihood of thousands of power sector employees is at stake. On the other hand, the survival of millions of citizens of J&K", he said.