HC reserves order on issue of strike by electricity dept. employees in UP

Besides, the court asked why they have not been arrested.When the matter was taken up, the court initially asked the counsel of employees union as per their own assessment what loss has been caused and in which field.On this, the counsel for employees union said that it cannot be assessed.Leaders of the electricity employees union were present in the court during the hearing.

The Allahabad High Court on Monday reserved its order on a PIL dealing with the issue of strike by electricity department employees of the state despite its previous order not to disrupt power supply.

Acting Chief Justice Pritinker Diwaker and Justice S D Singh were hearing the public interest litigation (PIL) moved by advocate Vibhu Rai after the electricity department staff went on strike last week.

During the course of hearing, the court took a serious note of the strike by employees of the power corporation and directed the state government to inform the court as to what monetary loss has been caused to the state as well as in other forms.

In addition to it, the court also asked the Additional Advocate General of the state about action taken against earring employees. The court said that the issue is not that the strike has been called off, the matter is very serious. One cannot be free to play with the lives of people. Besides, the court asked why they have not been arrested.

When the matter was taken up, the court initially asked the counsel of employees' union as per their own assessment what loss has been caused and in which field.

On this, the counsel for employees union said that it cannot be assessed.

Leaders of the electricity employees' union were present in the court during the hearing. Initiating contempt proceedings against them on March 17, the high court had issued bailable warrant against them and directed them to appear before the court on Monday.

The electricity department employees went on a three-day strike on Thursday night and ended it after several rounds of talks between their leaders and state energy minister A K Sharma, saying the decision was taken to respect the directions of the chief minister.

The protesting employees, who had started their strike at 10 pm on March 16, called it off at around 3 pm on Sunday.

''Respecting the directions of Chief Minister (Yogi Adityanath), the positive dialogue with the energy minister, and respecting the high court, we have decided to call off our 72-hour symbolic protest one day in advance in view of massive public interest,'' Shailendra Dubey, convener of Vidyut Karmacharis Sanyukt Sangharsh Samiti, said while announcing the withdrawal of the strike.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)