Lakhs of power sector workers protest privatisation of power in Chandigarh, UP ,Rajasthan – AIPEF
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in News/ January 31,2025
Lakhs of power sector employees across the country held protest demonstrations on Friday joined hands to protest privatisation of power in Chandigarh ,UP ,Rajasthan as per the directive of National Coordination Committee of Electricity Employees and Engineers (NCCOEEE), said Shailendra Dubey Chairman All India Power Engineers federation (AIPEF)
The protest demonstrations were held in Chandigarh , Punjab , Haryana , Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttrakhand, , Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, West Bengal, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh and other states .
Joint protest rally at Patiala was held by PSEB Engineers Association, JE Council, Association of JEs, Joint Forum, TSU, Head Office Employees union and other organisations in solidarity with employees of UT Chandigarh, UP and Rajasthan against the blatant privatisation move.
Padamjit Singh Chief Patron AIPEF said that the move to privatize Chandigarh electricity department is violative of section 131 of Electricity Act 2003 which makes it mandatory that when the assets are transferred it should be based on revenue potential of such assets.
Ajay Pal Singh Atwal said that employees are being blackmailed by Chandigarh administration forcing them to go for VRS. Sandeep Singh, Avtar Kainth and others also addressed the gathering.
Baljit Beniwal General Secretary Haryana Power Engineers Association (HPEA) opposing the privatization of the electricity department in Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan and termed it as unfair and unconstitutional .He said that this will affect the reservation policy also.
V K Gupta said that the Chandigarh administration is likely to hand over the Power Department to a private company on 01 February. Further privatisation of two distribution companies (Discoms) in Uttar Pradesh is on cards and privatisation of distribution and handing over of thermal plants in the name of Joint Ventures is going on in Rajasthan.
Lakhs of power sector workers protest privatisation of power in Chandigarh, UP ,Rajasthan – AIPEF. Various speakers across the country emphasized the adverse impacts of privatization, highlighting the likely rise in electricity tariffs and the potential deterioration of service conditions for electricity employees and engineers in affected states.
