AIPEF appeals PM Modi not to rush Electricity amendment bill
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in News/ July 8,2023
All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF) appeals to the Prime Minister and Power Minister that the Electricity Amendment Bill 2022 which was referred to the standing committee on energy should not be rushed through in the coming monsoon session starting on July 20.
This decision was taken in the federal council meeting held today and was chaired by Shalindra Dubey Chairman and attended by delegates from Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal , Punjab Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi Maharashtra, Telangana, Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala , Karnataka, Chhattisgarh ,Madhya Pradesh and other states.
Shailendra Dubey said that although Lok Sabha has referred Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2022 to the Standing Committee on Energy to date the standing committee has not held any discussions with power employees or electricity consumers who are the biggest stakeholders. The bill ,if enacted, will lead to a few private companies controlling most of the power distribution utilities of the country. He stated that the amendments being planned to the Electricity Act by the Centre would lead to the privatisation of the power sector and burden the poor, middle class and farmers with huge tariff increases.
The meeting demanded the withdrawal of electricity amendment bill 2022, opposed the proposal of parallel license in electricity distribution using state Discoms transmission network, affecting certain Provisions of the Electricity Amendment Bill through Electricity Amendment Rules, and supported the ongoing agitation by power sector employees in some states against privatization in state power sector, informed V K Gupta AIPEF Spokesperson.
Dubey further said that the proposal of multiple licensees will not bring any competition in the power sector . The private companies will use the infrastructure of state Discom without any investment and will only earn profit. The major portion of electricity supply is the power purchase cost which is 80 percent of the cost of supply then the concept of heap power is only fooling the common consumers.
Ashok Rao said that the power sector reforms need to be guided by planning rather than market forces. Electricity is an essential service and not a commodity to make a profit from. 90 percent of Indian people earn not more than Rs. 25000 per month then how they can afford the costly power from private suppliers.Privatisation of power sector means privatisation of profits and nationalisation of losses.
P.Rathnakar Rao secretary general said a failed model was being introduced in the power sector in the name of reforms and in the name of financial viability of Discoms
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