Power sector workers call nationwide protest on February 1

All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF) has said power sector workers will hold a nationwide protest against privatisation policies on February 1.

"On the call of National Coordination Committee of Electricity Employees & Engineers (NCCOEEE) Power Employees & Engineers across the country will hold protest demonstrations against privatisation policies of Central Government," an AIPEF statement said.

According to the statement, NCCOEEE has also decided that core committee leaders of NCCOEEE will meet the Punjab Governor on February 1 and hand over a memorandum to him against the privatisation of Chandigarh UT Power Department. NCCOEEE core committee office bearers will address the strike rally of Puducherry power employees on February 2 at Puducherry.

AIPEF Chairman Shailendra Dubey said, "On-call of NCCOEEE about 1.5 million Power Employees & Engineers across the country will hold nationwide protest/ demonstrations on February 1 at all district headquarters and projects against privatisation policies of Central Government".

The main demand of Power Employees & Engineers are – withdraw Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2021, scrap decision of privatisation of profit-making power departments of Union Territories — Chandigarh, Dadra Nagar Haveli Daman & Diu and Puducherry, integrate all unbundled power utilities in states like KSEB Ltd in Kerala and HPSEB Ltd in Himachal Pradesh, implement old pension scheme for all power employees recruited after unbundling of SEBs, regularise all outsourced power employees as the Telangana government has done, he added.

Dubey said that NCCOEEE core committee leaders will reach Chandigarh on February 1 to support UT Power Employees Strike against privatisation. The leaders will meet the governor on February 1 and submit a memorandum to him against the privatisation of the profit-making power department of Chandigarh.

Chandigarh Power Department is earning profit for the last seven years. Profit of the year 2020-2021 stood at Rs 257 crore, and line losses in Chandigarh are only 09.2 per cent. Tariff of Chandigarh is also cheaper as compared to Punjab and Haryana.

He said privatisation of such profit-making utility is not acceptable. Puducherry Power Employees & Engineers are resorting to indefinite strike from February 1 against privatisation of profit-making Puducherry Power Departments, the statement said.