Work boycott by power engineers across the country

New Delhi: Power engineers & Employees today started Two Day nationwide work boycott against the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2018 and privatization policies of the Governments.

The protest of power engineers and employees has been reported from different cities of Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Haryana, Uttrakhand, Bihar, Kerala, Tamilnadu, Karnatka and Orissa.

Shaliendra Dubey Chairman of 'All India Power Engineers Federation' (AIPEF) said that the power sector employees will proceed on indefinite strike without any notice in case the bill was passed without addressing their concerns on the proposed amendments.

Legislation is being enacted without working out the details and setting out the rules which will result in unmanageable litigations. AIPEF has submitted its concerns to the Power Ministry but no response has been received till date. The points agreed by previous power minister have not been incorporated in amendedo draft.

He said that Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2018 further divides the unbundled electricity industry. The distribution company will carry the electricity to the point of consumption. The final act of selling electricity to consumer and collecting cash will be done by supply licensee.

The motive of bill is to separate the profit making component like sale of electricity to industry, railways and commercial establishments for handing over to private sector.

The loss making parts like rural households and agriculture sector will remain with government companies.

It may be added that due to preferential load guarantees given in power purchase agreements given in power purchase agreements signed with private generators public sector thermal plants are forced to back down their generation resulting in high generation cost and revenue loss. There is little focus on supply and service quality issues which are at the heart of consumers concerns.

State government’s autonomy is being eroded and the constitutional provision of electricity being a concurrent subject is being subverted with systematic centralization.