UP power minister in Sonbhadra to calm down agitating employees

Lucknow, July 24(UNI) Uttar Pradesh power minister Ramveer Upadhya today rushed to Sonebhadra to sort out the dispute with the agitating power employees over the handing of Anpara C thermal power project to a private company.

Mr Upadhya is said to be discussing the issue with the union leaders of Anpara, after they called off a 24-hr strike late last night on the appeal of the minister.

Power crisis loomed large in the state after three units of 210 megawatt each were switched off at Anpara A last night, following the strike by the engineers protesting against illegal entry of the officials of Lanco Kodapalli in the Anpara C premises on Sunday night.

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) Employees' Joint Action Committee convenor Shailendra Dubey said here today that on the appeal of the minister the strike was called off at 0230 hrs.

''We are not against privationsation of the power sector but as Anpara C is the extension of Anpara A and B projects, employees will not allow it to be given to any private company'', he said.

Claiming that the strike was a total success, Mr Dubey said it is for the government to decide and talk with the employees to sort out the issue.

Mr Upadhya after talking with the employees at Anpara will return to Lucknow this evening. The minister is also expected to meet the power employees union leader in the state capital to sort out the dispute.

Lanco Kundapalli has been awarded a contract for the execution of the 1000 megawatt Anpara C Power Project through competitive bidding.

On Sunday night, amidst protests by UPPCL employees, the police broke the lock of gate number 3 at Anpara and completed the formalities of handing over land to Lanco Kundapalli.

In protest against the action of senior officials of the state government and police, thousands of UPPCL employees held a meeting at Shakti Bhawan, the UPPCL headquarter, and demonstrated there for more than two hours.

Mr Dubey, also All-India Power Engineers Association National General Secretary, said there were anomalies and irregularities in the process of privatisation of the Anpara C project.

''Those involved in the bidding and awarding of the contract have committed a lot of irregularities. To cover it, all of a sudden, Lanco has been given forceful entry in to Anpara C,'' he said.

He also said that UPPCL employees and engineers are serious about increasing the generation capacity, but not this way.

The committee said the fight against privatisation of Anpara C is going on for the last 11 years and even today, the Power Finance Corporation (PFC) is ready to give loans to the public sector for the project.

Mr Dubey further claimed that if the project was given to the UPPCL, it would start power generation a year before the private sector.

UNI