Bangalore: The strike notice served by the power sector employees here has prompted the State Government to prepare an elaborate contingency plan to ensure that normalcy was maintained in the running of the power generation plants and electricity supply to all parts of the State was maintained.

The Karnataka Power Corporation Ltd. Employees' Union and the Raichur Thermal Power Station Employees' Union have served the strike notice which would take effect from Friday.

With only a day left, the State Government at a high-level meeting here on Wednesday finalised a plan of action wherein the electricity engineers drawn from various places would be positioned at the power generation plants which were spread across the State.

The strike had been called by the nearly 4,000 workers of KPCL, while 1,400 engineers have not joined them. All retired engineers of KPCL and other agencies have asked to be ready to manage the power plants. The engineers have also been asked to don any role to ensure the smooth running of the power plants.

Deputy commissioners and superintendents of police have also been directed to provide adequate security to the power plants.

Sources in the Government told The Hindu that the average electricity demand in the State over the first fortnight of December had been 114 million units which was substantially more (14 per cent) than that of the corresponding period last year.

Of this, the supply from KPCL to ESCOMS was around 72 million units and the rest of the power requirement was drawn from central power stations and the private power plants.

The major power plants of the KPCL that generate nearly 72 million units were the RTPS and the Sharavathi apart from the Nagjhari power house across the Kali. Directions have also been issued to operate to optimum generating capacity the 290 MW Alamatti power station, if need be.

Meanwhile, the Government has also started negotiations with representatives of the trade unions concerned.

With differences over the enhancement of wages almost sorted out, the sticking points are with respect to perquisites and the frequency of promotions. Managing Director of KPCL L.V. Nagarajan said that he was confident that the employees would withdraw their strike notice.

However, as a precaution the authorities had sounded even the retired KPCL engineers.

He exuded confidence of the talks yielding results.

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