Nearly 20,000 employees from Jammu and Kashmir's (J&K) Power Development Department (PDD) have gone on strike indefinitely. They are protesting against the government's decision to merge PDD with the Power Grid Corporation of India and the privatization of government assets.
The employees have agreed to refrain from performing any repair or maintenance work, which has led to power outages.The workers have been protesting since Friday midnight and the power supply has completely broken down in several districts.
At least a third of Jammu and Kashmir has been impacted, with essential services coming to a standstill in the bitter winter. The administration has requested the Army for help.