Staff oppose power sector privatisation, threaten stir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, October 14

The Power Employees and Engineers’ Coordination Committee of J&K has demanded revocation of the state’s decision to unbundle the power development department and privatise the sector.

Threatening the administration of a statewide agitation, the committee, an amalgam of various associations of power employees, has also asked the state to withdraw the decision of outsourcing the billing, metering and other maintenance works, which will render thousands of employees jobless.

“We want the state to re-examine the Electricity Act, 2010, and ensure reforms in the power sector under the public utility system instead of privatizing it,” said committee spokesperson Mohammad Maqbool.

The state on September 5 had approved the operationalisation of the Jammu and Kashmir State Power Trading Company Limited (Tradeco).

To making Tradeco functional, activities like winding up of the commercial and survey wings of the department and staff transfer would be undertaken, an official handout said.

“This initiative is a first step towards unbundling the department and creating a roadmap for clearing the liabilities on account of outstanding power purchase bills,” it said. The Administrative Secretary of the department will be the chairman of Tradeco.

The operationalisation of Tradeco is proposed to be completed in two phases. In the first phase, it will carry out functions related to power trading like purchase the power requirement for the department and trading the surplus power. In the second phase, its successor companies Transco, Jammu Discom and Kashmir Discom will become operational.