AGRA: One man’s act of defiance brought dividend for over 9,500 of his colleagues. Discom DVVNL on Thursday released funds for the payment of May’s salary to its 9,627 employees, a day after TOI reported that its Firozabad-based electrician — when challaned Rs 500 for traffic rule violation — told the traffic cops that he couldn’t comply as he hadn’t been paid for the past four months.

After being fined, the electrician, Srinivas, snapped the power connection to the police station where the SI who had penalised him was posted. The police station did have outstanding power dues, which hadn’t been cleared. Speaking to TOI, Rakesh Kumar Kushwaha, director (personnel) of DVVNL, said: “On Thursday, we released Rs 17 crore for the payment of May’s salary to 9,627 contractual employees.”

“Their remaining salary would be paid soon. Meanwhile, an internal probe has been ordered against the electrician Srinivas, who allegedly refused to pay the challan issued for not wearing a helmet. The investigation would be supervised by a superintending engineer-level officer,” said Kushwaha. Another contractual electrician defended Srinivas, saying: “Srinivas did nothing wrong. DVVNL should support him. How could he pay Rs 500 when doesn’t have money to feed his family?”

Kushwaha, however, said the disconnection had nothing to do with the traffic challan. “Since 2016, the police station’s power bill had risen to Rs 7 lakh, and the supply was disconnected. On Wednesday, our team did re-verification of the pending bill and soon the due amount would be paid by the police department,” he said.

A contractual employee of Dakshinanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Ltd (DVVNL) told TOI: “One month’s salary after a four-month gap doesn’t resolve our financial crisis. “DVVNL should either come out with a plan to force consumers to pay power bills on time or ask the government for a bailout to disburse the salary of contractual employees,” the employee added.

