CHANDIGARH: 14 MPs from six political parties have written a letter to the Prime Minister demanding immediate intervention on the privatization of public power utilities in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and other states.
The letter raises the issue of handing over valuable lands and properties to private companies at a nominal base price fixed for auction without evaluating the condition of public power facilities, informed V K Gupta
The letter mentions that privatization will lead to a huge increase in electricity rates, which will take electricity out of the reach of poor consumers and farmers. The MPs have demanded that the Prime Minister should intervene in this matter and hold a meeting with electricity employees and consumers and have a detailed discussion.
The letter said that the Uttar Pradesh government has decided to hand over Purvanchal and Dakshinanchal Discoms to private hands, while huge investments were made in these corporations under the "RDDS" scheme . Both these Discoms have outstanding bills of Rs 66, 000 crore. Despite this, a base price of only Rs 1, 500 crore has been fixed for their auction without evaluation.
The letter further mentions that the Rajasthan government has also started the process of handing over generation projects and battery storage projects to private companies.
Meanwhile , Vidyut Karamchari Joint Sangharsh Samiti, the movement against privatization will intensify in UP after the proposed conference of electricity employees in Nagpur on February 23. Samiti convener Shailendra Dubey said that All India Power Engineers Federation, All India Federation of Power Diploma Engineers, All India Federation of Electricity Employees (AITUC), Electricity Employees Federation of India (CITU), Indian National Electricity Employees Federation (INTUC), All India Power Men's Federation and many provincial level electricity employees' federations will participate in the conference. Before this conference, on February 22, the National Core Committee of the National Coordination Committee of Electricity Employees and Engineers will meet.
Shailendra Dubey, Samiti convenor said that the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) purchased electricity at Rs.5.55 per unit but sold it to Agra’s private distributor, Torrent Power, at Rs4.36 per unit resulting in a Rs.275 crore loss every year . Torrent Power is selling electricity to consumers at Rs.7.98 per unit, making an estimated ₹800 crore annually.