Decision on power privatisation will be in the interests of employees and people, says Lt. Governor

Tamilisai urges workers of the Department to call off agitation

Any decision on the privatisation of the Puducherry Electricity Department will be in the interests of people and employees, Lieutenant-Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan said on Tuesday.

Interacting with reporters during her visit to the Central Prison at Kalapet, she said, “The government will keep in mind the interests of people and employees before taking any decision.”

She was responding to a question whether the administration gave its consent to the Centre’s proposal to privatise the Department for power distribution in the Union Territory.

Without elaborating, the Lt. Governor said, “Workers of the Department should call off their agitation as no step will be taken to harm their or people’s interests.” The workers launched a strike on Monday without causing any disturbance to power supply.

Complimenting the jail authorities on encouraging prisoners to venture into natural farming and animal husbandry, the Lt. Governor said the government would consider providing a platform at Uzhavar Sandhai for the farm products cultivated in the jail.

“It is motivating to see the kind of farming done by the prisoners in the jail. The government will consider their demand for selling their products at Uzhavar Sandhi and expanding the area of cultivation,” she said.

Ms. Tamilisai Soundararajan also announced the government’s decision to construct a sub-jail at Karaikal. The Public Works Department was in the process of building the jail to accommodate around 150 inmates. The government was hopeful of completing the work in two years.