The All India Power Engineers Federation gave a call to hold demonstrations in the national capital on November 23, to protest against the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2022. AIPEF has also threatened that the electricity sector workers will go on strike if the government makes any unilateral effort to pass the bill in Parliament, the All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF) said in a statement.
The Electricity Amendment Bill 2022 which seeks to create competition in the power distribution sector by providing consumers with options to choose between multiple services providers in an area, was introduced in Lok Sabha on August 8, this year, and was referred for scrutiny to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Energy on the same day.
In the Federal Executive Meeting of AIPEF held in Srinagar on Sunday, it was decided that Power Engineers across the country will hold a massive demonstration in Delhi on November 23, in protest against the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2022. I
In the meeting, it was also decided that if the central government makes any unilateral effort to pass the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2022, then all the electricity workers and engineers across the country will be forced to go on strike.
About 50 delegates mainly from Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Delhi, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Damodar Valley Corporation participated. in the meeting, AIPEF, which is celebrating its Golden Jubilee year, said.
Federation Chairman Shailendra Dubey, Secretary General P Ratnakar Rao, Chief Patron Padmajit Singh, Patron K Ashok Rao and PN Singh, besides Presidents and General Secretaries of Electricity Engineer Associations of various provinces attended.
Dubey, termed the Electricity (Amendment) 2022 as anti-people and anti-employee. “We will have to come on the road and one has to be ready for a nationwide strike in protest against any unilateral action of the Central Government,” he said.
He said that a huge rally will be held in Delhi on November 23.
Before the rally, four Bijli Kranti Yatras will be started from the Eastern, Southern, Western and Northern parts of the country which will turn into a massive demonstration in Delhi on November 23.
A public awareness campaign will be launched by mobilizing electricity employees and common electricity consumers through Electricity Revolution Yatras.
He alleged that through the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2022, the central government is going to privatize the entire power sector.
Private companies will be given the right to supply electricity using the network of government discoms.
Private companies will come to make a profit by using the network of government companies by giving electricity only to profitable sectors i.e. industrial and commercial consumers, he stated.
Only the loss-making poor domestic consumers and farmers will be left with the government power distribution companies, he added.
Naturally, the government power distribution companies will become financially poor and after that the government, the network of government power distribution companies will also pay the private companies at a penny price, he pointed.
Federation Secretary General Ratnakar Rao, Chief Patron Padamjit Singh and Patron Ashok Rao, PN Singh and office bearers from different provinces resolved to wage a decisive struggle against the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2022. The Federal executive meeting passed resolutions for integration of power corporations, restoration of old pensions, stopping all kinds of privatization and regular recruitment on regular posts, it stated.
