KMSC holds protest over govt move to privatise PSPCL

Members of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) held a protest alleging privatisation of Punjab State Power Corporation (PSPCL) here on Thursday. Sarvan Singh Pandher, state convener, and Ranjit Singh, president of the committee, who led the protest, stated that it was a statewide call.

The protesters demanded the cancellation of the power purchase agreements and opposed the Electricity Amendment Bill 2025, which would give private companies the right to fix electricity rates and supply electricity. They also opposed the installation of prepaid meters, which would lead to increased electricity costs for consumers.

The leaders of the committee, including Germanjit Singh Bandala and Gurbachan Singh Chaba, said that the privatization of PSPCL would lead to indirect looting of people and would benefit private companies. They appealed to the people of Punjab to oppose this policy and support the struggle to stop the sale of electricity boards.

The committee gave demand letters to the Chief Engineer, the Superintending Engineer, the DC office, and senior police officers in the district, urging them to take immediate action to stop the privatisation of PSPCL. A huge gathering is planned in front of the offices of senior officers on July 14 to further press for their demands, said Pandher.

The leaders expressed concern over the impact of the privatisation of PSPCL on farmers, labourers and general public. They said the policy would lead to increased costs and would further exacerbate the problems faced by farmers.