Power engineers protest privatisation of Yadadri thermal plant

Hyderabad: Power engineers at the Yadadri Thermal Power Station (YTPS) in Nalgonda district wore black badges on Friday, June 19, to protest the Telangana government’s move to privatise the ash handling and coal handling operations at the plant, warning the agitation will intensify if the tenders are not withdrawn.

According to a Namasthe Telangana report, representatives of the Telangana Power Employees Joint Action Committee (TGPE JAC) submitted a memorandum to the TG Genco director demanding that the tender for handing over the Ash Handling Plant (AHP) and Coal Handling Plant (CHP) at YTPS to private firms be scrapped.The

The JAC said Units 1 and 2 under Stage-1 and Units 3 and 4 under Stage-2 of the plant are already being run with minimal staff, and Unit 5 is set to begin commercial operations in September this year, making adequate manpower essential for the safe functioning of these critical power generation units.

The JAC said the staff shortage is already overburdening employees, with the potential to adversely affect the performance and maintenance of the power station. It said handing over operations and maintenance of the AHP and CHP, traditionally overseen by Genco engineers since the corporation’s inception, to private companies went against the institution’s established practice, and demanded the tender be cancelled to protect the organisation’s interests.

The tender in question proposes a three-year contract for private firms to run the ash and coal handling systems at the 4,000 MW plant, one of the largest coal-based thermal facilities in the country. Engineers’ associations have argued that AHP and CHP work has traditionally given assistant engineers the field experience needed to advance to senior roles, and that outsourcing it risks weakening the technical cadre and career progression within Genco.

Separately, the Telangana Electricity Employees JAC (TEE JAC) chairman Ch Ramesh demanded that the government ensure quality coal supply to YTPS and immediately halt the recently floated tenders, while also raising pending issues including the delayed Pay Revision Commission (PRC), which was due from April 1 this year, and unresolved EPF and GPF dues.

Power sector unions have warned that the Yadadri tenders could set a precedent, cautioning that privatisation beginning at one plant could eventually extend to power generation and distribution across the state.