AIPEF threaten nationwide strike over privatisation plans in UP and Maharashtra
Kanwar Inder singh/ royalpatiala.in News/ July 20,2025
All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF) appeals to central and state governments to intervene in Uttar Pradesh (UP) and Maharashtra to stop power privatisation and ensure that their agitation does not spread across the country. AIPEF resolved to stand firm with their UP and Maharashtra counterparts and resist the privatisation of two Discoms in UP and parallel licensing in Maharashtra. AIPEF threatened nationwide strike over privatisation plans in UP and Maharashtra in case they go ahead .
Rathnakar Rao Secretary General said that in the transmission sector, power substations running under the control of state governments are being snatched away in the name of tariff competitive bidding. In the production sector, projects are being handed over to private houses on a large scale, government power projects are being handed over to private hands in the name of joint ventures.
In five resolutions the federal council meeting opposed the ongoing process of privatisation of two UP distribution companies by state government, privatisation of power distribution through parallel distribution licence in Maharashtra, and privatisation of transmission system through tariff-based competitive bidding (TBCB) , monetization of transmission assets, and formation of joint venture involving a state-owned electricity generation company (GENCO). AIPEF also appeals to professionals and employees of all sectors to support the engineers and employees in their struggle to protect the power sector and public assets.
AIPEF Federal Executive held at Lucknow today was presided by AIPEF Chairman Shailendra Dubey. AIPEF Secretary General P Rathnakar Rao, Patron K Ashok Rao, Satya Paul & P N Singh, and delegates from 22 states namely, Delhi, Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir, Telangana , Karnataka ,Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, , Andhra Pradesh, , West Bengal, Odisha Uttarakhand , Madhya Pradesh ,Gujarat, Tamilnadu, and Kerala participated in the Federal Executive meeting, informed V K Gupta.
Ashok Rao Patron AIPEF said that while the maximum domestic tariff in UP is Rs. 6.50 unit rate, it is Rs 15.71 per unit in Mumbai. In Chandigarh within five months of privatization, the private firm has sought an increase in tariff for all categories of consumers. The Regulator in Odisha has issued a public notice for suo motu proceedings against Tata Power on a large number of shortcomings.
The meeting did a comprehensive discussion on the power privatization policy of the central government, the privatization model being rapidly implemented in the states through the Electricity Amendment Bill and Electricity Amendment Rules and sought stopping of all privatisation processes.
The Federation said that behind the privatisation of electricity in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, there is collusion with corporate houses and is a mega scam.
The AIPEF has strongly condemned the repression of power employees and engineers in Uttar Pradesh in the name of privatisation and said that privatisation will not be allowed through repression by creating an atmosphere of fear.
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