AP power crisis deepens as utility workers go on strike

Andhra Pradesh is bracing for an acute power crisis, as thousands of employees of power utilities go on a 72-hour strike which is part of their protest against the bifurcation of the state.

Over 40,000 Seemandhra employees out of 65,000 who work at three crucial power utilities –APGenco, APTransco and APdiscoms – have joined the strike, leading to severe crises in production and supply of electricity.

The striking power utilities employees, who have come together under the common banner of Seemandhra Electricity Employees Joint Action Committee, went ahead with the strike despite appeals by the state government and the top brass in the power sector.

The employees have threatened to convert the 72-hour lock out of the state power sector into an indefinite one if the UPA government fails to reconsider its decision to bifurcate the state to create Telangana.