In a major boost for the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), the Maharashtra Government has approved a revised staffing pattern wherein it sanctioned 4407 supernumerary posts in the Sanitation Department. The decision relates to a major demand put up by NMC to delete an earlier direction of the State Government about the lapse of the post of Aivajdars; they were heirs of workers engaged in the Solid Waste Department. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has authorised absorption of the Aivajdars in regular service of the civic body.

 

The decision is as per the recommendations of the Lad-Page Samiti that was set up by the State Government to go into the issue of the absorption of Aivajdars. The committee said that heirs of the deceased and Devendra Fadnavis was busy for the last two days with pressing engagements, the Government machinery could not take any policy decision on the demands of striking employees. Hopefully, on Friday a meeting is going to be held, likely with Chief Minister and that would yield some result. The unions are in jittery over the issuance of licences to private companies in the lucrative power distribution arena in State. They are seeking the scrapping of a policy decision taken by Maharashtra Government opening the distribution sector to private companies, saying it would strike at very roots of Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL).

 

Also they have opposed the decision of MSEDCL to outsource technical manpower at 329 sub-stations across Maharashtra, excluding Mumbai, as the same is being claimed as privatisation. In city, the strike employees gathered at the office of Regional Director, MSEDCL, on Katol Road, where a gate meeting was held under presidentship of Mohan Sharma, the senior-most trade union leader. The union leaders flayed the policy of State Government and urged workers to remain united. From the Government side, Principal Secretary, Energy, Abha Shukla; CMD, MSEDCL, Lokesh Chandra; and other senior officials held talks with the representatives of 7 unions.

 

The unions claim they represent 86,000 workers and engineers and also 42,000 contractual workers, and now the effect of the strike would reflect on regular maintenance work and also on fuse calls that would go unattended. Meanwhile, MSEDCL maintained that the strike by employees has no effect on power distribution. Throughout the state there was no report of disruption at any place. MSEDCL has engaged the services of 20,000 external workersto maintain seamless operations at all sub-centres, along with workers who have not joined the strike. Senior officials are monitoring the situation through the control room at Prakashgad 24 hours.