CHANDIGARH: Power sector employees and engineers across the country stopped work for one hour and held demonstrations on Tuesday to show solidarity with power sector employees of Uttar Pradesh , Rajasthan and Chandigarh Electricity Department as per the directive of National Coordination Committee of Electricity Employees and Engineers (NCCOEEE).
The protest demonstration for one hour was done in Punjab, Assam, Telangana, Himachal Pradesh , Puducherry, Tamilnadu, Madhya Pradesh , Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra, and other states . Employees at all power generation houses across the country left their work and started demonstrations, said V K Gupta.
Padamjit Singh Chief Patron All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF) said at Patiala that the “loot of power sector assets” would not only burden consumers financially but also weaken the infrastructure and stability of public utilities.
All the trade union leaders in various states said in one voice that they fully support the struggle of electricity workers against the privatization of electricity of Uttar Pradesh , Rajasthan and Chandigarh Electricity Department.
Shailendra Dubey, Chairman, AIPEF on behalf of NCCOEEE said that the UP government has also decided to hand over Purvanchal and Dakshinanchal Discom to private hands in the next three months . Against which the electricity employees and engineers of UP are fighting strongly. The electricity workers of Uttar Pradesh will celebrate Black Day on the first day of the new year by forming a human chain wearing black bands. On the occasion of the new year, the electricity workers will socially boycott the chairman and top management of the Power Corporation.
Various speakers across the country emphasized the adverse impacts of privatization, highlighting the likely rise in electricity tariffs and the potential deterioration of service conditions for electricity employees and engineers in affected states.
In Chandigarh, common consumers along with electricity employees have come out on the streets in large numbers to protest against handing over of electricity assets worth Rs. 20 thousand crores to private company Eminent Electric Company for just Rs. 871 crores. In Rajasthan, the bidding process for privatization of electricity distribution has been started on a large scale. In Uttar Pradesh, in open violation of two agreements made with electricity employees, the decision to privatize Purvanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam and Dakshinchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam has been announced.
Joint front in Himachal Pradesh alleged that the privatization deal was a blatant “loot of public assets, ” citing serious irregularities in the tendering process for Chandigarh electricity department.