A widespread strike by electricity department employees has triggered extensive power outages across Haryana, prompting the state administration to initiate emergency measures to resolve the crisis. The disruption continued on Friday, impacting vital hubs like Gurugram and several adjoining districts. In response, Haryana Power Minister Anil Vij urged striking personnel to end their protest and report back to work immediately. Sharing a post on the X platform, Vij stated that the government remains prepared to discuss all available options, including proceedings under Section 108 of the Electricity Act 2003.
Blackouts Disrupt Daily Routine and Industrial Operations
The operational freeze has severely compromised utility services across a broad geographic belt. Regions including Gurugram, Faridabad, Nuh, Sonipat, Rewari, Jhajjar, Karnal, and Ambala experienced major supply breakdowns. The widespread electricity cuts disrupted domestic water distribution networks and hindered productivity across industrial centers. Frustrated by prolonged disruptions in residential quarters, local citizens in multiple districts gathered to stage demonstrations.
Power Minister Schedules Crucial Afternoon Negotiation
Aiming to break the impasse, Power Minister Anil Vij announced that an official discussion with electricity worker representatives would take place around 3 pm. The initiative has raised expectations that the ongoing protest could reach a swift conclusion. Prior to this, Vij noted that the administration plans to contest the HERC decision granting a parallel distribution license to Eleven Power before the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity. The minister stated that the state will file an appeal seeking a stay on the ruling. The employees have voiced strong resistance, maintaining that introducing a private distributor will weaken the state-owned Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam.
Gurugram Logs Over 3000 Power Complaints in Just 12 Hours
The agitation against privatization swiftly registered its impact on the urban infrastructure of Gurugram. Power cuts began spreading through various pockets of the city starting at 10 pm on the preceding night. Within merely 12 hours of the demonstration commencing, the discom registry logged over 3,000 complaints regarding interrupted lines. Official logs indicate that 945 grievances were registered during the night hours, followed by a surge of 2,245 complaints received in a span of just two hours during the morning. Calls and online alerts continue to pour into call center desks without pause.
Unions Threaten Indefinite Agitation if Demands Remain Unmet
Employee unions have adopted an uncompromising posture regarding their core grievances. Representatives cautioned that if the administration fails to engage union office-bearers, revoke privatization measures, and resolve long-pending service demands during the ongoing three-day symbolic protest, the strike will be converted into an indefinite shutdown. The workers maintained that while they have not deliberately disrupted supply networks themselves, they will strictly abstain from fault-repair duties. They affirmed that even if technical failures occur on lines serving critical emergency infrastructure, personnel will refuse to attend to repair work during the protest window.
