Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 29: State-level conventions were held on Thursday in different states by power sector engineers and employees to protest against the Electricity (Amendment ) Bill- 2021 and the indifferent attitude of the Central Government towards them.
In Varanasi, UP power employees held a convention in the Prime Minister’s constituency and submitted a memorandum in his office. The conventions were also held in Bengaluru, Trichi, Hyderabad, Chandigarh and other state utility headquarters.
VK Gupta, a spokesperson of All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF) said that a four-member delegation of the National Coordination Committee of Electricity Employees and Engineers (NCCOEEE )led by Prashanta Chaudhary convener met Alok Kumar, Secretary Power on Tuesday and handed over a memorandum against the Electricity (Amendment ) Bill 2021.
The delegation asked the Power Secretary that why the employees and consumers are not being treated as stakeholders and the Government is moving unilaterally without discussion with them. The Power Secretary claimed that the concerns of organizations have been considered already and the Government does not want to proceed further through consultations and talks.
This has left power sector engineers and employees with no choice other than to vehemently oppose privatization of electricity distribution.
Gupta said that now it is Parliament’s responsibility to carefully deliberate the electricity (amendment ) bill 2021 whenever presented before it and a detailed scrutiny process by the standing committee on energy should be allowed. The bill passed in a hurry may fail to achieve its intended outcomes.
The proposed reform is counterproductive and would lead to denial of electricity to underprivileged and increase in tariff for domestic and agriculture consumers, benefitting only a few privileged sections of society.
Electricity is on the concurrent list and the states have played a dominant role in electrification. The Modi Govt is trying to tilt this delicate balance of authority when it comes to the draft Electricity
Amendment Bill, 2021.
The Electricity (Amendment )Bill 2021 seeks to de-license power distribution to reduce entry barriers for private players in the name of creating competition
In Mumbai two private companies Adani and Tata supply power to the city. Both companies have their own generating stations and still the tariff in
Mumbai is one of the highest in the country.
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