Himachal power board employees oppose Lok Sabha bill

Employees of the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board will stage a state-wide protest next month against the Electricity (Amendment) Bill of 2014 proposed to be tabled in the Lok Sabha in the winter session, the representatives said on Saturday.

"The proposed bill is anti-employees. We have decided to hold protests and rallies across the state against the proposed bill on December 8," a spokesperson for the Himachal State Electricity Board Employees Union told IANS.

He said the bill is aimed to further split the power distribution companies to benefit private firms.

"The private players will get a potential area to make money without making any investment for development or expansion of power industry. The bill will mean that consumers will have to pay more," he added.

The government estimates say the state electricity board, the state's largest undertaking with over 25,000 employees, tops the list of loss-making public sector undertakings with a cumulative loss of Rs.1,813.23 crore till March 31, 2014.