Electricity Restored in India's Jammu as Power Department Employees End Four-Day Strike

The Power Employees and Engineers Coordination Committee, an amalgam of all the associations under the umbrella of the Jammu and Kashmir Power Development Department (JKPDD), had called for a strike on 17 December against privatisation of the electricity department.

Electricity has been restored in India's Jammu region after protesting employees from the Jammu & Kashmir Power Development Department called off their strike.

After getting a written assurance from the administration that the proposed privatisation of the power sector would be put on hold, the employees' association decided to call off their protest. The latter had lasted four days.

The administration also agreed on other issues, including the release of salaries.

The written assurance to the JKPDD employees was given after fresh talks were held overnight Monday between Divisional Commissioner of Jammu Raghav Langer and the employees' association.

Twenty thousand power department employees had gone on an indefinite strike against the government's move to merge the J&K Power Development Department into the Power Grid Corporation of India and the handing over of its assets to private companies.

Their employees' main demands were that the government should reverse the decision to privatise assets, regularise daily wages for power employees, and release their salaries.

After the JKPDD employees boycotted the services, Divisional Commissioner Langer wrote to the Department of Military Affairs of the Ministry of Defence requesting help from the Indian Army to restore essential services.