City

Contractual Staff Of TPSODL On Dharna For 65 Days In Berhampur For Job Regularisation

By
Sunil Patnaik

Berhampur: The contractual employees of Tata Power Southern Odisha Distribution Limited (TPSODL), who have been sitting on dharna in front of their office, here for the last 65 days, have threatened to take their protest to streets if their demand is not fulfilled soon.

The contractual employees under the banner of the Odisha Bijuli Karmachari Sangha, affiliated to Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), resorted to dharna to press their demand for regularisation of their jobs as promised by the company earlier.

When the TPSODL took over the power distribution in January this year, it had promised the government that it would regularise the jobs of 200 contract employees, said Rabi Rath, advisor of Odisha State Electricity Board (OSEB) Workers Federation and vice-president of Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS) Odisha unit.

“It is ‘betrayal’ on the part of the TPSODL. The company must start the process to regularise the contract employees,” said Rath who has been supporting the protesting employees.

In 2018, when the Southco was the distribution company under the state government, the employees had staged dharna for 28 days. They called it off after an agreement was reached with the then energy secretary Hemanta Sharma that the jobs of 200 contractual employees will be regularised to bring them under the payroll of the company.

Rath further said when the government handed over the management and operations of power distribution to South Odisha to Southern Electricity Supply Company of Odisha Limited (Southco) in 1999, there were 4,200 regular employees, no contract employees and 2.69 lakhs consumers.

In 2021, there are 1,600 regular employees and 2900 outsourcing employees while the number of consumers has increased to 21 lakhs. Though the consumers have increased by 10 fold, the number of employees has decreased considerably, Rath added.

Stating that the TPSODL must keep its words and regularise the jobs of contractual employees, Rath said if it fails to do so, they will resort to agitation across south Odisha.

When contacted, Sunil Rath, a senior officer of the HR Department of TPSODL Berhampur Head Office, said he was not authorised to reveal details about the regularisation process of contractual employees.

At present, the TPSODL is the power distribution company for eight southern districts including Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Koraput, Ganjam, Gajapati, Boudh and Kandhamal.

Sunil Patnaik

Recent Posts

OHRC Seeks Report From Odisha Govt On Mango Kernel Deaths In Kandhamal

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) has sent notices to Secretaries of Food &…

November 7, 2024

Why Are Kartik Aaryan’s Parents Scared Of Bollywood?

New Delhi: Even as his recently-released horror comedy ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3’ continues to mint money…

November 7, 2024

How Delhi Police Cracked Gangrape Of Odisha Researcher; Cop In Guise Of Social Worker, Footage Of 700 CCTVs

New Delhi/Bhubaneswar: After over 20 days of investigation and analysing more than 700 CCTV cameras,…

November 7, 2024

‘No Notification Exists’: HC Closes Plea Against 1988 Ban On Salman Rushdie’s ‘The Satanic Verses’

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has closed proceedings on a petition challenging the Rajiv…

November 7, 2024

Criticised For Touching His Wife’s Feet, Vikrant Massey Gives It Back To Trollers

Mumbai: ‘12th Fail’ actor Vikrant Massey recently got trolled after pictures of him touching his…

November 7, 2024

Threat Call: Was Shah Rukh Khan Targeted For His Deer-Hunting Dialogue In ‘Anjaam’?

Mumbai: Mumbai Police swung into action immediately after Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan received a…

November 7, 2024

[Watch] Snowfall In Desert For The First Time!

Dubai: The effects of global climate change are being seen in various manifestations across the globe.…

November 7, 2024

Police Case Against Websites Selling T-Shirts With Photos Of Dawood, Bishnoi

Mumbai: When criminals are idolised and used for commercial purposes, police are bound to take action.…

November 7, 2024