Haryana Power Strike: Anil Vij Urges Employees to Resume Duty, Says Government Open to Talks

Haryana Energy Minister Anil Vij on Friday appealed to striking electricity department employees to end their protest and return to work, assuring them that the state government was willing to discuss possible solutions, including measures under Section 108 of the Electricity Act, 2003.

In a post on X, Vij made the appeal as power supply disruptions continued to affect Gurugram, Faridabad and Nuh, leaving residents, businesses and industrial establishments struggling with prolonged outages.

“Appeal to the employees of Haryana who have gone on strike: End the strike and return to duty. We are ready to hold discussions on all options. This includes taking action under Section 108 of the Electricity Act 2003,” the minister said.

The strike by employees of Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) has disrupted electricity supply across several areas since Wednesday night. The employees are protesting against the state government's proposed privatisation of the power distribution system in Gurugram and Nuh.

Residents reported widespread blackouts beginning around 10 p.m. on Wednesday, with the disruption affecting household activities, commercial establishments and industrial operations.

The prolonged outages have also triggered public protests in several areas. Residents took to the streets to demand the restoration of electricity, with demonstrations reportedly causing traffic congestion in some locations.

According to residents, repeated attempts to contact electricity department officials to report outages and seek restoration of supply went unanswered. In some areas, villagers blocked roads and said they would continue their protest until electricity was restored.

The continuing disruption has increased pressure on the state government and power authorities to resolve the dispute and restore normal supply across the affected districts.

Vij's appeal signals the government's willingness to engage with the employees while also keeping possible legal measures under consideration. The immediate priority remains the resumption of duty by the striking workforce and the restoration of reliable electricity supply to affected communities and businesses.