The authorities in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh have announced that they are officially abolishing the state's electricity board and replacing it with three new public-sector corporations as the prelude to privatising electricity supplies in the state.

The group representing electricity employees The Electricity Employees' Joint Action Committee, has been boycotting work for three days in protest against the latest move, and has called an indefinite strike from today Saturday.

The Uttar Pradesh government has declared the strike illegal and said it is calling in the army to help maintain power supplies.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service