Covid impact: Telangana power utilities unions say 1,200 staffers infected
Hyderabad: The Coronavirus pandemic has badly attacked staff at the power utilities in the state. Nearly 700 employees working in TS Transco, TS Genco, the northern and southern distribution companies (TSSPDCL and TSNPDCL) have tested positive for Covid so far, as per official statistics.
Data show that 113 employees working in TS Genco, 30 in TS Transco, 328 in TSSPDCL and 306 in TSNPDCL have contracted the Coronavirus from April 1 to 22.
However, employee unions in the power utilities claim that over 1,200 employees were infected in the Covid second wave. They say the majority of the employees who were infected included engineers and artisans involved in maintenance and power restoration works.
Singareni Collieries is also witnessing increasing Coronavirus cases among its employees. Nearly 1,000 cases were reported so far, 148 on Wednesday alone.
Nearly 28,000 regular employees, 22,00 artisans and another 5,000 contract/ outsourcing employees totalling nearly 55,000 staff working in power utilities in the state.
Staff alleged that the management did not take any steps to set up their own hospital to treat staff members as was done by the APSRTC. The only medical facility available to power staff is a small dispensary running from Vidyut Soudha premises, the headquarters of power utilities.
Officials claimed that required measures were taken to ensure that power distribution and generation are not affected by using the available workforce effectively.
D. Prabhakar Rao, TS Transco and Genco chairman and managing director. told Deccan Chronicle, "The power staff work round the clock in shifts to ensure uninterrupted power supply to hospitals, laboratories, residential, commercial and all other sectors. They have to travel and attend duties at ground-level to resolve power supply issues. They face the risk of contracting virus while performing duties.”
He said that the corporation had sought vaccination for the power staff in the first phase. “But it was not done," he said. Instructions were issued to power staff to undergo vaccination at hospitals of their convenience.
The increasing cases has created panic among employees and their family members. Members of the Telangana Electricity Engineers Association met Prabhakar Rao on Friday and submitted a representation seeking certain preventive measures to minimise Covid cases in power utilities.
Association general secretary N. Sivaji said, "More than 100 Coronavirus cases were registered throughout TS Genco. These employees are facing problems due to non-availability of oxygen, ventilator beds facility in the hospitals even at Hyderabad."
Sivaji demanded the CMD take steps to provide the Covid vaccine to all employees immediately, permit attendance of employees without biometric attendance, examine a proposal to allow work from home for 50 per cent of the staff as was done earlier. He also wanted the postponement of the repair and maintenance (R&M) works of Unit 10 of KTPS Stage-V till the situation improved.
"Several engineers and workers from other states and countries are being deployed for R&M works in power plants. This is also contributing to spread of the virus," Sivaji said.
He said their representation to health minister Etala Rajendar, sent via email on January 13, seeking vaccination to power staff in the first phase along with frontline warriors went answered.
"Though there is no legal definition of a frontline worker, the power employees qualify as frontline workers as they are reporting to their job sites and risking their personal health to ensure uninterrupted power supply, the economy in motion and the rest of general public safe. We requested the minister not to ignore power staff in the initial phase of vaccination. But there was no response," Sivaji said.
