UT invokes ESMA as power staff oppose privatisation

The UT Administration has invoked the East Punjab Essential Services (Maintenance) Act (ESMA), 1947, prohibiting strike by employees of the Electricity Department. The employees have been protesting the privatisation of the Electricity Department.

According to the orders issued by UT Adviser Rajeev Verma, the UT Administrator agrees that any strike by employees of the department will affect the generation and maintenance of electricity supply, which is an essential service to society.

Further, the prohibition of strike by the employees is in public interest. The orders prohibit strike by employees for a period of six months with immediate effect.

The administrator has authorised the UT Chief Engineer and Superintending Engineer (Electricity) to make a complaint in writing against any person defying the provisions of the Act.

As part of the major structural reforms in the power sector, the process of privatisation was initiated in the city. Kolkata-based Eminent Electricity Distribution Limited (EEDL), a subsidiary of the RP Sanjiv Goenka (RPSG) Group, was declared the highest bidder on August 5, 2021. The company had quoted a bid of approximately Rs 871 crore, significantly higher than the reserve price of Rs 175 crore.

The administration issued a letter of intent to the EEDL on November 22. It is likely to hand over liabilities of the department to the company by the end of this month.

Members of the UT Powermen Union today staged a protest against the implementation of ESMA. They said the administration wanted to crush their ongoing movement against privatisation and hand over the Electricity Department to a private company at a throwaway price.

Gopal Dutt Joshi, general secretary of the union, said the electricity employees would fight against privatisation till their last breath. Union president Dhyan Singh said their protest couldn’t be weakened by implementing ESMA. He also expressed happiness over the immense support received from employees of all states, including Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, and staff of other departments. He said the administration was making statements about the service conditions of the employees but was not ready to talk seriously.

Addressing the protesters, a senior member of National Coordination Committee of Electricity Employees and Engineers, Subhash Lamba said on a call of the committee, protests were organised today across the country against the privatisation of Chandigarh and UP electricity departments.

He said giving a government department, which earned crores of rupees in profit each year, in private hands was illogical. He said the department’s assets were being handed over to a private company for just Rs 871 crore.

National secretary of Electricity Employees Federation of India Sudeep Dutta said 27 lakh electricity employees and engineers of the whole country were standing with the employees of Chandigarh and UP. He said “National Anti-Privatisation Day” would be observed on December 13, during which power employees would protest across the country.

The UT Powermen Union had given a call for a three-day strike from February 22 to 24 in 2022. There was a blackout in the city for nearly 40 hours. The Administration had invoked the East Punjab Essential Services (Maintenance) Act (ESMA).