Electricity Workers to Hold Massive Protest in Sector 17 on January 30th and Observe Black Day on January 31st.

Electricity Workers to Hold Massive Protest in Sector 17 on January 30th and Observe Black Day on January 31st. 

Extension of ESMA Condemned.

Chandigarh 17 January ( Ranjeet Singh Dhaliwal ) : Electricity employees of Chandigarh will hold a massive protest in Sector 17 on January 30, 2026, and observe a Black Day on January 31, 2026, to protest against the illegal transfer of government electricity employees working under the Chandigarh administration to the private company Eminent without the employees' consent.  The main office bearers of the union strongly condemned the administration for extending the ESMA (Essential Services Maintenance Act) for the second time, stating that instead of taking action against the officials who illegally handed over government property, the administration is using ESMA to suppress the struggle of government employees who are demanding their adjustment. The union leaders questioned under what rule ESMA is being imposed on electricity employees if they are not considered government employees, as ESMA is not applicable to private company employees. They appealed to the administration to adjust the employees against the more than 6000 vacant posts in various departments of Chandigarh instead of threatening them.

The union office bearers strongly condemned the working style of the Chandigarh administration officials, alleging that last year on January 31st, the profitable electricity department was directly sold to a private company, and 349 employees were made scapegoats and pushed into the private company Eminent despite their protests, which is a dark chapter in the history of the country. The meeting alleged that the then Chief Engineer of Civil Engineering, in collusion with the Superintendent Engineer brought in from Haryana, hatched a deep conspiracy, deceived the employees, and implemented a flawed tender system, keeping the government and senior officials in the dark. In 2022, officials admitted their mistake and promised to rectify it, but sadly, the current Chief Engineer and the officers working under him are repeating the same mistake and are handing over not only power distribution but also transmission to a private company.  This is despite the notification of January 31, 2025, which stated that the transmission assets would not be handed over to the company.  However, that notification is being disregarded, and preparations are underway to hand over the assets to the private company before January 31, 2026, even though the company does not have a transmission license. 

The concerned officials of the department are also arguing legally to retain transmission under their control and are demanding additional staff for STU, SLDC, EI, and SDA, but their arguments are also being rejected. In the union meeting, it was discussed that if the 11-66 kV, 5-33 kV, and 1-220 kV substations had remained under government control until the formation of the government company, more than 250 employees could have been accommodated. However, the officials were more concerned about the company than the employees. Therefore, only 43 favored employees and officers, with only 10-15 years of service, were retained for STU, SLDC, EI, and SDA. On the other hand, employees with 25-30-35 to 40 years of service were pushed into the private company.  Under the pretext of company losses, 165 employees were given VRS (Voluntary Retirement Scheme) in a single day, 22 disabled employees were adjusted in other departments, and 349 employees were left to fend for themselves, who have been struggling for the past year because they were abandoned to face the consequences of the company's losses. 

In the meeting, the administration was questioned: on one hand, to avoid losses, some employees were adjusted within the department and other government departments, while the remaining 349 were sent to a private company. Where is the justice in this? The administration remains silent on this matter, but the employees are losing their previously available benefits one by one. First, the allotment of houses was stopped, then they stopped receiving loans from banks, and concessions for school admissions were discontinued. Free treatment at government hospitals was stopped. Promotions due in February were not given, and reservations were curtailed; their government employee status was revoked. Even employees retiring during the 12-month provisional period are not being given pensions and GPF (General Provident Fund). The government is not issuing retirement orders or PPOs (Pension Payment Orders), and the Central Government Health Scheme is not applicable to them. Even employees on their deathbeds are not being given VRS (Voluntary Retirement Scheme) under central government rules for the past 6-7 months. They are only being shown false hopes of pension, commutation, and gratuity. Therefore, the employees feel helpless and cheated by corrupt officials and are seeking solace in the courts, but they are not powerless. They have resolved to sound the bugle of struggle on January 31st and bring these corrupt and guilty officers to justice, who, for their petty self-interests, are trying to deprive employees who have completed 25-30-35-40 years of service of their government pensions.

The union officials have appealed to all employees not to succumb to the administration's threats and to participate in large numbers in the dharna (protest) to be held in Sector 17 on January 30th and in the Black Day protest demonstrations on January 31st, 2026.