Mumbai, Jan 4 (TIWN) Over 86,000 employees of the Maharashtra State Electricity Board's three companies and 40,000 contract workers, who launched a 72-hour strike from Wednesday, called off the agitation after the state government's intervention, top leaders said.

The strikers were protesting the purported entry of Adani Group's Adani Transmission Ltd (ATL) into the power distribution business in Mumbai and other parts, with all employees from the MahaGenco, MahaTransco, and MSEDCL joining the agitation, said the MNS Vij Karmachari Union office-bearer Anil Gosavi.

Acting fast amid reports of power blackouts emanating from different parts of the state since midnight, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis called all the 32 union leaders to hammer out a solution, besides invoking the Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act.

Later, Fadnavis and the unions announced that after satisfactory discussions, the strike was being withdrawn with immediate effect, said MNS Vij Karmachari Union Working President Rakesh Jadhav.

"The state government is not interested in privatising any of these companies. In fact, the government will invest over Rs 50,000 crore towards infrastructure assets in these companies in the next three years," said Fadnavis.

Referring to the 'parallel licences' question objected to by the unions and why the government was not contesting it, he said that the administration will contest it as per the laws after the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commissioner (MERC) issues its notification.