The Maharashtra government has begun the process of securing the services of about 40,000 contractual power workers employed by the state’s electricity companies, Chief Minister and Energy Minister Devendra Fadnavis said after a meeting with employee representatives in Mumbai on Wednesday.
The proposed arrangement will follow what the government described as the “Haryana pattern”. Fadnavis also indicated that the government was considering the workers’ demand for a bonus and directed that action taken against employees who participated in a strike be withdrawn, according to representatives who attended the meeting.
The meeting was held to discuss the pending demands of electricity employees, officers and engineers. Representatives of the Maharashtra State Electricity Employees, Officers and Engineers Action Committee met Fadnavis during the discussions. Minister of State for Energy Meghana Bordikar, Additional Chief Secretary Abha Shukla and Mahavitaran Managing Director Lokesh Chandra were also present.
The proposed service-security process covers contractual workers employed across Maharashtra’s state electricity companies. The report did not specify the detailed framework, eligibility conditions, implementation schedule or administrative order through which the “Haryana pattern” would be applied in the state.
Union representatives said the government had also responded positively to the demand for a bonus. The workers have sought a bonus in the range of Rs 19,000 to Rs 20,000. The government indicated that the issue would be resolved, according to the representatives who spoke after the meeting. The report did not state when the payment would be made or whether the amount had been formally approved.
The discussions also covered Mahavitaran’s future structure and electricity-distribution infrastructure. Fadnavis said a decision had been taken to list Mahavitaran on the stock market to support the expansion of infrastructure needed for electricity distribution. He assured employees that there was no plan to privatise the company and that ownership would remain with the state government.
Mahavitaran is Maharashtra’s state electricity distribution company, and its workforce plays a role in operating and maintaining the distribution network. Any change in the employment status of contractual workers would therefore affect a large workforce associated with the delivery of an essential public utility. However, the government’s announcement, as reported, provides an assurance to begin the process rather than a completed employment policy.
The meeting followed demands raised by electricity employee organisations over job security, bonus payments and action taken during the strike. Fadnavis’s direction to withdraw such action was presented as part of the response to those demands.
The next steps will depend on the government’s formal process for applying the Haryana model, the terms governing the proposed service protection and the resolution of the bonus demand. The report did not provide a date for issuing detailed orders or completing the process.
