Streets in the Odisha capital witnessed a stark and emotional form of protest as contractual electricity workers tonsured their heads in public to oppose alleged retrenchments by Tata Power.
Spearheaded by the Odisha Bidyut Thika Karmachari Milita Mancha (Joint Forum of Odisha Contractual Electricity Workers), the agitation at Gandhi Marg and Lower PMG has now stretched beyond 40 days, with an indefinite hunger strike entering its 10th day.
The protesting workers allege that experienced staff are routinely laid off whenever third-party contracts and tenders change hands. Out of nearly 15,000 contractual workers employed across the state’s power distribution network, the union claims around 2,000 have been abruptly removed from service. Their primary demands include immediate reinstatement, long-term job security, and an end to tender-driven retrenchments.
With the hunger strike reaching its tenth consecutive day, the health of several fasting workers has deteriorated, requiring medical attention. Prior to shaving their heads on the road, the agitators had staged demonstrations draped in burial shrouds—symbolising “living corpses”—to draw attention to their plight. Union leaders expressed frustration that neither the state government nor the administration has taken concrete steps to resolve the crisis.
Meanwhile, Tata Power has refuted the allegations of mass layoffs. In an official statement, the company clarified that out of roughly 15,300 contractual personnel, only 374 were identified for redeployment, of whom nearly 200 have already joined their new postings. Urging the protesters to resume duty by the 15th, the company appealed for normalcy. However, the joint forum dismissed Tata Power’s statement as “misleading” and vowed to continue their agitation until their demands are met.
