Workers protest Bill to amend Electricity Act

Hisar, December 18

The Haryana Power Engineers Association (HPEA) and All Haryana Power Corporation Workers Union (AHPCWU) held a rally at Vidyut Sadan, headquarters of the Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN), against the Bill to amend the Electricity Act, terming it an attempt to privatise the power sector in the state.

KD Bansal, Chairman, Northern India Power Engineers Federation; KK Malik, General Secretary, HPEA; Subhash Lamba, President, Sarv Karamchari Sangh and RC Jagga, President, Retired Karamchari Sangh addressed the rally.

KD Bansal said the decision to amend the Electricity Act, 2003, would affect farmers and weaker sections. Demanding withdrawal of proposed amendments in the Electricity Act, 2003, he alleged the proposed changes were aimed at benefiting big power companies. “Motive of the proposed Bill is to create scope of business for private enterprises in power distribution without any investment. The Power Ministry has set aside the objections raised by the states and the electricity boards to favour the private companies,” he said, adding that under the proposed amendments, the private companies would be given separate profitable segments such as sale of electricity to major industries, commercial establishments, railways splitting from un-remunerative loss-making segments such as rural households and agricultural consumers.

He warned against any move of Centre to bring an ordinance on the issue. He said the draft amendment would result in a steep hike in power tariff and make it difficult to afford electricity.

Subhash Lamba said employees working in state power distribution companies across the country would stage a day-long strike and boycott work on January 8 to oppose the move of the Central government introducing multiple private supply licenses. The amendments proposed would bring all subsidies to an end. They opposed termination of engineers and employees with about 10 years of experience for not clearing the departmental accounts examination and termed it illegal and not acceptable. The employees required qualification as per the rules and were recruited by selection boards in a transparent manner, employees’ leader said. —TNS