Engineers to discuss power sector reforms

Tribune News Service

Patiala, August 12

The All-India Power Engineers’ Federation (AIPEF) is holding a federal council meeting on August 18 to chart out the future course of resistance against the amendment Bill and discuss the power sector reforms. 

Power sector engineers across India have been opposing the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2014, which seeks to extend the privatisation to the distribution of electricity.

Reforms in the power sector, integration of all power utilities in the state, forced thermal backing down of state-owned power plants and failure of the franchisee system in the power distribution are the items for discussion on the agenda.

“The government has planned to push the Bill in the winter session of Parliament which is meant clearly for the profit of private companies, on the premise that competition will lead to better services for consumers. But the fact is that privitisation of the power sector is bound to lead to the supply of electricity becoming more expensive in a country where nearly 30 crore people are still living without electricity,” claims VK Gupta, spokesperson for the AIPEF. 

The federation has demanded a discussion on proposed changes in the Bill before putting it in Parliament for discussion, but the government has not yet responded to their suggestion. It may be mentioned that former Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal had assured the delegation of engineers and employees that the draft Bill would be discussed.