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| Poor PDD linemen left to fend on their own | | | Another lineman of Power Development Department (PDD) suffered an electric shock in Rajouri District recently. Locals rushed him to a hospital.
None of the PDD employees or officials came to help their colleague. Locals collected funds and helped the poor lineman. He was referred to Jammu in a critical condition. During the past few months, a number of PDD linemen, working as daily wagers have sustained electric shocks. Some have been disabled while a few of them have died.
These poor linemen are not receiving help from any quarter. They haven’t been regularized for the past many years, nor are they given any benefits of the schemes that are provided to permanent employees.
These daily wagers have been the backbone of the Power Department but they have been at the receiving end. They work on meager wages and whenever some untoward incident happens they are left to fend on their own.
The tall claims of the government about it working for the welfare of the employees have proven to be a mere illusion. It appears that these daily wagers are used and then thrown.
The PDD employees for a long time have been demanding a white paper on non-creations and regularisation of engineers and PDL, TDL staff and casual labours. They have been opposing moves by the government to privatize the power sector.
After J&K’s reorganization on August 5, 2019, the Power Development Department was converted into two corporations and the employees were assured release of timely wages, promotions, and regularization of daily wagers. However, till date it has not happened.
In December this year employees of the Power Department went on a strike to protest against the arbitrary decisions taken by the government. Their strike had led to entire Union Territory plunging into darkness and had embarrassed the administration.
There are reports that the employees of the Power Department are once again mulling to go on strike from February if the government fails to fulfill their genuine demands. From need based worker to a chief engineer everyone in PDD has some or other issue. Most of the employees are disgruntled. The government has just turned a blind eye and is trying to tell the people that all is well but the claims of helmsmen contradict the ground situation.
Linemen suffering electric shocks and being abandoned, has become a routine in J&K. No one seems bothered. How unfortunate! |
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