CHANDIGARH: All India Electricity Consumers Association (AICEA)will hold a national convention at Delhi on March 5 against privatisation of the power sector , anti-people pre-paid smart meters and electricity amendment bill.
Swapan Ghosh President AICEA said that before the national convention they will protest at Jantar Mantar on March 4 against privatisation policies of central and state governments. He informed that Shailendra Dubey Chairman All India power Engineers Federation (AIPEF) , while Ashok Rao Patron AIPEF and chief Patron National confederation ofCPSU’s , Bimal Das Advisor AACEA and other national leaders will be speakers.
Shailendra Dubey said that AIPEF called for Immediate rollback of privatization plans of central and state governments and they must withdraw this anti-people decision and instead should focus on strengthening Discoms.. The government must engage with the biggest stakeholders power engineers, employees, and consumers instead of making decisions behind closed doors.
V K Gupta informed that after having failed to pass and implement the Electricity Amendment Bill 2022 earlier , the central government now plans to circulate the first draft of the Electricity Amendment Bill in the next three months. The power sector employees are opposing it.
The pre-paid smart meters are being installed as per direction of the central government and the project is being executed by private companies. Besides abnormal increase in cost of meters to be borne by consumers , If there is some technical problem in the meter, or any overbilling appears, the consumers have to complain to the third party smart metering agency.