Power essential service, not commodity: Expert

Patiala, October 14

Shailender Dubey Chairman, All India Power Engineers Federation addressed a large gathering of engineers from the state on the proposed Electricity Amended Bill 2022 at PSEB Engineers Home, Patiala. He said the Union Government was introducing major legislative changes in the Electricity Act 2003, without any consultation and by violating the rights of the states.

He explained that a failed model is being introduced in India in the name of reforms. “If introduced the cost of electricity for ordinary consumers will increase manyfold and only a few favoured corporate houses will benefit from the legislative change”, he cautioned.

Dubey stated that earlier electricity generation was opened to the private sector and now 32,000 MW of generation plants were under financial stress. This privatiosation model has already failed in the generation of electricity and a similar failed model from the UK is being pushed in the distribution sector. He stated that electricity was an essential service and not a commodity to make profit from. “The UK parliament committee in its audit found that UK energy regulators failed to protect consumer interests and the consumers had to shell out millions as extra cost”, he stated.

JS Dhiman president PSEB Engineers’ Association said these amendments if implemented in hurry without wide consultations and without any open tendering/ bidding would hamper the working of discoms and erode the powers of states to decide the policies of the power sector. He appealed to the Punjab Government to strongly oppose this anti people legislation.

Later in the day, Dubey addressed a meeting of major unions and associations representing the Punjab power sector. It was decided to participate in a joint protest march in New Delhi on November 20 against the proposed Anti-People Electricity Amendment Bill 2022.