Orissa power situation nears crisis on Cesco meet failure

Our Bureau

Bhubaneswar, Aug 10: The failure of the Friday meeting of the Cesco board of directors has pushed the power sector in Orissa into a deep crisis. The employees, who are working without salary since July, may resort to wildcat strike at any moment. And this would plunge central Orissa into darkness.

“Any day any thing may happen,” says Gridco chairman & managing director Priyabrata Patnaik, who is also the chairman of Cesco.

The trade union leaders are also fearing trouble. According to them, they are not sure they could rein in the workers who are facing immense hardship due to non-payment of salary. The workers affiliated to Nikhila Orissa Bidyut Shramik Mahasangha have already threatened to sit in on dharna in front of the Cesco head office here from Friday.

In a letter to the state energy secretary, Mr DN Padhi, Cesco’s AES-appointed managing director, Mr Roberto Podesta, expressed fear that the agitation might lead to
violence .