Memorandum opposing Electricity Bill, 2022 submitted to Parliamentary Standing Committee-Gupta

Bahadurjeet Singh/Rupnagar  
A memorandum to the Parliamentary S nergy of parliament, opposing Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2022  has been submitted by V K Gupta, spokesperson of All India Power Engineers Federation.

He has requested Standing Committee to consider the points raised and then arrive at an appropriate decision keeping in view the interests of various sections of consumers.

The central government introduced the Electricity Amendment  Bill 2022  on August 8  in Parliament  under the pretext of opening the power sector for competition.

V K Gupta in his memorandum states that  the only aim of the bill is to bring corporate and private  companies into the power sector and privatise the whole power distribution system.

Bill seeks to centralise almost all functions of the distribution companies as well as  the state regulatory  commissions and changes the character of the electricity supply  industry and the federal structure of the constitution.

The memorandum states that the  Electricity Amendment Bill 2022 aimed at giving multiple players open access to distribution networks of power suppliers use the  infrastructure of state Discoms  developed at the cost of taxpayers, by paying  only  wheeling charges and also allow consumers to choose any service provider. This is irrelevant as  the number of  consumers who do not pay the “cost to serve”  is very large. As per studies, more than 80%  of domestic  consumers do not pay the cost to serve and almost all agricultural consumers do not pay the cost to serve.

As per the bill, only government discoms will have a Universal power supply obligation therefore private licensees will prefer to supply the electricity to industrial and commercial consumers leaving the underprivileged and marginalised communities without access to power. A failed model is being introduced in India in the name of reforms.

V K Gupta claimed in the memorandum that the Electricity  Amendment Bill 2022  would weaken the finances of state Discoms, have an adverse impact on utility  employees, cripple the Discoms finances and impose a heavy cost burden on the subsidized consumers.

Privatisation of the power sector  mooted through  bill will prove expensive for the public  while  being a boon for a few industrial houses.

December 27,2022