PSEB Engineers’ Association, JE Council jointly protested against privatization of electricity in Uttar Pradesh
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in News/ May 29,2025
“Today, 27 lakh electricity workers of the country took to the roads to protest against the privatization of electricity in Uttar Pradesh. A Joint Protest in front of PSPCL Head Office by Joint Forum, JE Council and PSEB Engineers’ Association was held to show their solidarity with the UP powercom employees” said the spokesperson of PSEBEA
He further added that “In a strong show of solidarity, the Joint Forum, Council of Junior Engineers, and PSEB Engineers’ Association today held a joint protest rally in front of the PSPCL Head Office in Patiala. This demonstration was held at the call of the National Coordination Committee of Electricity Employees and Engineers to oppose the privatization of electricity in 42 districts of Uttar Pradesh”.
The joint protest rally was addressed by Er. Padamjit Singh Chief Patron All India Power Engineers Federation, Er. Ajay Pal Singh Atwal General Secretary PSEB Engineers’ Association, Er. Jagmail Singh President H.O. Council of Junior Engineers and Sh. Harpal Singh General Secretary Joint Forum.
Speakers at the rally sharply criticized the policies of the Uttar Pradesh Government and UPPCL Management. They accused UPPCL management of presenting misleading data regarding DISCOMs in Uttar Pradesh and condemned their “draconian orders” aimed at suppressing the ongoing struggle of UP Power Engineers and Power Workers. It was highlighted that electricity workers in Uttar Pradesh have been agitating for the past six months, yet the Uttar Pradesh government has regrettably failed to initiate any dialogue with them.
Due to wrong power purchase agreements in Uttar Pradesh, Discoms have to pay Rs 6761 crore annually to private power generation companies without purchasing a single unit of electricity. Apart from this, an additional burden of about Rs 10000 crore per year is coming from private houses at very expensive power purchase rates. In Uttar Pradesh, government departments have not paid electricity dues of Rs 14400 crore.
According to the policy of the Uttar Pradesh government, free electricity is provided to the farmers, electricity consumers below the poverty line, and subsidised electricity. The annual bill for such subsidies is about 22000 crore rupees. The Uttar Pradesh government considers all this as deficit and on this basis, privatization has been decided in Uttar Pradesh. Due to such inefficiencies of Government UP Discom assets worth lakhs of crores of rupees are being handed over to private houses at throw away prices and the burden of this will be borne by the consumers with expensive electricity. Pushing the poor in UP towards the lantern era.
In a nationwide display of protest against the electricity privatization in Uttar Pradesh, 27 lakh power workers across the country staged widespread demonstrations during their lunch break today, showing strong solidarity with their counterparts in Uttar Pradesh. Electricity employees have issued a stern warning that any harassment of electricity workers in Uttar Pradesh will not be silently tolerated.
PSEB Engineers’ Association, JE Council jointly protested against privatization of electricity in Uttar Pradesh . They stated that all 27 lakh electricity workers in the country will be forced to take to the streets and agitate, holding the Uttar Pradesh Government solely responsible for any resulting disruption.
