Residents in various parts of the city complained of long power cuts since the previous night, some even alleging foul play by protesting powermen

While the electricity department employees went on a one-day strike against the privatisation move in Chandigarh, residents in various parts of the city had to face the brunt, with some complaining of as long as 20-hour power cuts.

Various areas in Sector 33 also remained without power since morning. Kuljinder Sra, general secretary of the Sector 33-B resident welfare association (RWA), said: “Nobody was listening to our complaints. Power was coming and going in different areas. Rather than power failure, it looked like it was being done deliberately.”

Gopal Dutt Joshi, general secretary, UT Powermen Union, denied any sabotage. “We stayed at our homes and have nothing to do with the disruption in power supply. We had given a month’s notice for the strike, and it is the administration’s failure if it could not maintain proper power supply.”

The union has also announced a 72-hour strike from February 22. They have been protesting against privatisation of the department. The Centre has already cleared ?871-crore bid of Kolkata-based RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group.