In a significant step aimed at preventing any disruption to electricity supply, the Odisha government has prohibited strikes and related protests in all power generation, transmission, and distribution establishments across the state for the next six months.
Issued late on May 21, 2026, by the Home (Special Section) Department, the order invokes the Odisha Essential Services (Maintenance) Act, 1988. It explicitly covers major state utilities — GRIDCO, OPTCL, OHPC, and OPGC — as well as the four Tata Power distribution companies operating in the state: TPCODL, TPNODL, TPSODL, and TPWODL. The ban also extends to “any other power-generating organisations” in Odisha.
The order states that the government is “satisfied that in the interest of the public, it is necessary to prohibit strikes” to maintain industrial peace and optimise the generation, transmission, and distribution of power. It defines a strike broadly to include any cessation of work, concerted refusal to work, unauthorised absence, or refusal to accept employment by employees acting in combination.
The prohibition comes into immediate effect and will remain in force for six months from the date of the order.
The move appears to be a direct response to growing unrest among employees of power distribution companies, particularly over issues related to layoffs, wages, outsourcing, and service conditions. By classifying electricity services as essential under the 1988 Act, the government has legally barred workers from going on strike or staging protests that could disrupt operations.
Power sector experts say the order reflects the state’s priority to ensure round-the-clock electricity supply, especially as Odisha continues to push industrial growth and infrastructure development. Any prolonged strike in the sector could have cascading effects on households, industries, hospitals, and essential services across the state.
The government has emphasised that the order has been issued “in exercise of powers conferred under Section 3(1) read with Section 2 of the Odisha Essential Services (Maintenance) Act, 1988 (Odisha Act 9 of 1992).”
