Indus Valley Times

By Payal Banarjee

Bhubaneswar, Feb 14: The Odisha government has directed the strict enforcement of the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA), 1988, across power utilities following a protest by degree and diploma engineers of TPCODL (Tata Power Central Odisha Distribution Limited) that disrupted normal operations and created a law and order situation.

In a letter addressed to the Director General and Inspector General of Police, Odisha, Vishal Kumar Dev, Principal Secretary to the Government, highlighted the recent demonstration outside the corporate office of TPCODL. Protesters, opposing the routine transfer of engineers, reportedly prevented senior management and female employees from exiting the building after office hours, creating a hostage-like situation until 9 AM. The situation was brought under control only after police intervention.

Following the incident, TPCODL management took disciplinary action against the demonstrators, filing first information reports (FIRs) against four association leaders and seven engineers. However, after the intervention of the Deputy Chief Minister (energy) Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, the transfer orders were modified, and the company decided to withdraw disciplinary proceedings from April 1, 2025, as a goodwill gesture.

Despite this, the protesting engineers announced plans to escalate their demonstration from February 11, demanding an immediate withdrawal of the chargesheets against the 11 officials. In response, the Odisha government reiterated that ESMA is currently in effect for six months, as per the home department’s order dated October 21, 2024, covering all major power utilities, including Grid Corporation of Odisha (GRIDCO), Odisha Power Transmission Corporation Limited (OPTCL), Odisha Hydro Power Corporation (OHPC), Odisha Power Generation (OPGC), and DISCOMs.

The government has expressed concern that such protests and mass leave by power sector employees could lead to significant financial losses, operational disruptions, and service interruptions across the state. It has directed local police authorities to ensure strict enforcement of ESMA and take stringent action against any further breaches of the Act to maintain industrial peace and uninterrupted power supply.

The Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Commissioner of Police, District Magistrates, and Superintendents of Police have been instructed to take necessary measures to prevent further disruptions in the power sector.