DIMAPUR, JULY 23 (MExN): The All Nagaland Electricity Field Worker Association (ANEFWA) today submitted a representation to the Engineer in Chief, Nagaland Power Department, seeking immediate action on demands regarding promotions, workforce strength and risk allowance.
The representation, appended by the association’s President Ayeto Sumi and General Secretary, Tepuhosul asked the Head of Department to take up these matters with the government on an urgent basis and intimate the outcome within a month’s time. Failure to do so, the ANEFWA cautioned, would compel the association to initiate a statewide protest.
The association informed that with the expansion of the department (increasing consumers and up gradation and installation of new transformers), field workers have added responsibilities, compounded by acute shortage of manpower.
The ANEFWA informed that all 12 posts of Supervisors, 3 posts of Meter Inspectors, 2 posts of Foreman, and 2 posts of Shifting Engineers are lying vacant.
Referring to the Office Memorandum, dated June 20, the association said that unless remedial measures are made regarding that memo, all posts would lay vacant, making it “impossible for the department to function.”
It further pointed out that “HODs as well as other cadre are all governed by the Service Rules; as such allowing relaxation of the Rules specifically for the HODs and disallowing such relaxation to other cadres in a pick and choose manner is not justified.”
The association also stated that the prescribed strength of work-charged employees for the department, recommended by the work-charged and casual employee commission is 2052.
However, the Finance Department issued an office letter, dated July 3, 2019, reducing the strength of work-charged employees to 2035 and the department was advised not to make any new fresh appointment of work-charged.
If this is allowed, the ANEFWA stated that the strength of work-charged field staff will decrease every time regularization or death vacancy occurs. It reminded that on account of the essentiality of the services provided by field workers and on the basis of verbal assurance by the Chief Minister, 336 field staff posts were created and regularized in 2009 and in the 2nd phase 381 posts were created and regularized.
The proposal for 3rd phase was initiated by the department for creating 266 posts in 2014. However this is yet to materialize. “To do the job of operation and maintenance of power and to provide minimum quality service to the citizens of the state, at least 6000 field workers are the minimum requirement,” the ANEFWA further stated. It however lamented that at present the department is over burdened beyond practical management, and opposed the government’s move to downsize the field staff workforce.
With regard to risk allowance, the ANEFWA stated that till ROP Rules, 2010, work-charged employees under the Power Department had been granted risk allowances at par with regular employees. The association affirmed that the benefit of risk allowance for work-charged employees at par with the regular employees is an acquired right. However, it expressed concern that this acquired right has been taken away by ROP Rules, 2017.
Under these circumstances, the ANEFWA demanded relaxation of the year of experience for promotion; maintenance of the strength of work-charged employees as recommended by the commission; finalization of proposal for creating and regularizing 266 field worker posts; and granting risk allowance to work-charged field staff at par with the regular field staff.
