PATIALA: PSEB Engineers' Association earnestly urges the Government of Uttar Pradesh to urgently review and reverse its decision to privatise the power sector in the best interest of the state's power sector and its citizens.
The Association has expressed the unequivocal support of all power engineers of Punjab for the ongoing agitation led by the power engineers and employees of Uttar Pradesh under the banner of Vidyut Karmchari Sanyukt Sangharsh Samiti.
The Association in a letter to chief minister UP said that the state government has taken a unilateral decision to privatise the power sector without engaging in meaningful discussions with the engineers and employees' unions. This decision also overlooks the alarming issue of non-recovery of defaulting dues amounting to Rs. 1.15 lakh crores, which remains a significant burden on the UP power sector.
Ajay Pal singh Atwal General Secretary said that this decision overlooks the past failures of private iplayers, particularly the example of Agra, which should have been a cautionary lesson. As such , In light of these considerations, the PSEB Engineers' Association finds the decision of UP Engineers and Employees to protest fully justified. We extend our wholehearted support for the proposed protest action, scheduled to commence on December 6, 2024.
It may be mentioned that in Uttar Pradesh, privatization of two big electricity distribution corporations, Varanasi and Agra has been announced. Due to the privatization of these two Discoms more than 70, 000 regular and outsourced employees are facing the threat of retrenchment. In the first phase, privatization of two Discoms has been announced but the decision is to privatize the entire distribution sector.
Vidyut Karmchari Sanyukt Sangharsh Samiti blamed managerial inefficiencies and proposed that management roles be assigned to technical experts instead of IAS officers. “If the same workforce can drive improvements post-privatisation, why not make the changes within the existing structure.