KTPS employees withdraw strike

Nagpur, May 24 (UNI) Employees at the Koradi Thermal Power Station (KTPS), a unit of the public sector Maharashtra State Power Generation Company (Mahagenco), today withdrew their strike unconditionally to protest against the arrest of their colleagues for death of a contract labourer there yesterday.

KTPS Chief General Manager Sharad Deo told UNI that the employees had started returning to work this evening after a meeting with Mahagenco managing director Ajay Mehta. They had resorted to a flash strike this morning.

Mr Mehta told representatives of workers' unions that he would consider their demands only after the employees resumed work, Mr Deo said.

The process has begun to start the six units of KPTS that had to be shut down after the workers resorted to a flash strike, he said, adding, generation at full capacity was expected to be achieved by 0200 hrs.

Power supply to several parts of Maharashtra had been affected as generation at KTPS came to a standstill after employees resorted to the strike.

Six units had to be shut down as a result of the strike, while the seventh unit was closed as it had been under overhaul.

The striking workers were demanding the withdrawal of the offence against two junior engineers Shrish Vishwanath (46) and Avinash Uttamrao Patil (44) (JE's) of the company, arrested on charges of causing the death of a contract labourer in the KTPS premises yesterday. They were released later on bail.

The conveyor belt that Devgirikar was working on last afternoon suddenly started moving, pulling him into the chute overhead, a police press release said here today.

In the mishap, Devgirikar sustained serious injuries on his waist, neck and chest, and succumbed while undergoing treatment at a hospital here.

Ghate asked Devgirikar to work on the conveyor belt without obtaining permission from the control room, the release said.

Similarly, Patil did not sound a warning siren from the control room before starting the conveyor belt and also did not verify over walkie-talkie if any work was going on over the system. Thus, Ghate and Patil caused Devgirikar's death due to negligence. And the duo was, therefore, booked under sections 304 (A), 338 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the release added.

UNI