Scrap power amendment Bill, stop privatisation, demand Haryana power staff

Kurukshetra, March 28

On a call of the National Coordination Committee of Electricity Employees and Engineers (NCCOEEE), power sector employees and engineers held protest meetings as part of the two-day work boycott, against the “privatisation policies” of the Centre.

Provisions of bill ‘anti-people’

Various provisions of the Electricity (Amendment) Bill-2021 are anti-people and anti-employees and if enacted, these will have adverse consequences. — VK Gupta, All-India power engineers’ federation spokesperson

All-India Power Engineers’ Federation (AIPEF) spokesperson VK Gupta said the employees were seeking scrapping of the Electricity Amendment Bill-2021, and Standard Bidding Document for the total privatisation of distribution of electricity.

The other demands of the power sector employees and engineers are withdrawing the process of privatisation of electricity in states and union territories. “Various provisions of the Electricity (Amendment) Bill-2021 are anti-people and anti-employees and if enacted, these will have adverse consequences. The private sector would compete over larger and more profitable consumers while the smaller and poorer consumers would be left to languish,” he said.

He further said the Electricity Amendment Bill would put the future of over 25 lakh workers employed by discoms as well as their families in danger. The consumers will also be badly affected by the Bill as they will simply be transferred from discom to some private company.

AIPEF general secretary KK Malik said: “In the name of reforms, the government is serving the interest of the private sector, gradually destroying the public sector across the country.” The federation official also demanded the implementation of an old pension scheme for all power sector employees and the regularisation of all contract workers.