CPM defends stir, demands withdrawal of ESMA

Tribune News Service

Rohtak, June 27

The state secretariat of the CPM has maintained that the proposed strike of power employees on June 29 and 30 against privatisation is in public interest. The party has demanded that all repressive measures should be stopped immediately and ESMA withdrawn.

In a statement issued here today, CPM state secretary Surender Singh pointed out that as per power experts, the top management of the power utilities had put financial burden of thousands of crores of rupees on residents in order to provide benefit to the private companies.

“The cost of power production at the state government’s generation plants ranges from Rs 4.26 to Rs 4.48 per unit; but the management has purchased power at a rate of Rs 11.54 per unit from private companies by keeping the state-run plants under-utilised. The requirement of power was inflated to benefit the private companies,” he said, adding that it indicated a huge scam which needed a high-level inquiry.

“This nexus of the power-sector management and private companies is promoting the privatisation of power sector and thus 23 subdivisions have been handed over to contractors. There have been accusations of vested interests of some ministers of the state government in this process,” he added.