About 1.2-mn powermen to strike over Electricity Amendment Bill

Allege proposed amendments meant to service interests of private players

To protest against the Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2014, about 1.2 million employees of public sector power companies and engineers across India have threatened to go on strike for a day.

Announcing its decision, the National Coordination Committee Of Electricity Employees and Engineers has written to the Prime Minister, Union power and labour ministers and chief ministers.  

The All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF), All India Federation of Power Diploma Engineers, All India Electricity Employees Federation, Electricity Employees Federation of India, Indian National Electricity Workers Federation, All India Power Men’s Federation and other independent state unions will take part in the strike.

AIPEF Chairman Shailendra Dubey said despite stiff opposition of power employees and engineers, the Centre had placed Electricity (Amendment) Bill on the agenda of the Lok Sabha session, which is scheduled between July 21 (Tuesday) and August 13. “The power employees and engineers have been asked to be alert for the strike/work boycott on the day the Bill is introduced in the Lok Sabha,” he said.

Dubey said the proposed amendments were not based on ground realities but were meant only to service the interests of private players, who would ultimately make state power utilities go bankrupt.

“The amendments, which seek to segregate power distribution network from electricity supply business, are anti-people and do not look at the root cause of problems faced by the power sector,” Dubey said. He said the electricity distribution and retail supply were the most critical link in the electricity market, as they interface with customers and provide revenue for the entire value chain.

“By separating carriage and content in power distribution, the Bill, in one stroke, will make all public sector power utilities unviable,” he said.

He said while 18 states had already opposed the Bill before the Parliament’s standing committee on energy, the Centre was hellbent on passing it for the benefit of corporate houses.