Power Privatisation
Engineers to intensify stir
Manish Sirhindi
Tribune News Service

Panipat, December 28
The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Haryana Power Engineers and Workers has decided to intensify its statewide agitation against the government’s move to privatise the distribution system in Gurgaon and Panipat.

Alleging that the franchise scheme for distribution system in Panipat and Gurgaon was being implemented to benefit the private hands, the JAC stated that it was quite unbecoming of the government to go ahead with the move even though there was a widespread resentment against it.

The decision to intensify the stir was taken during a state-level convention of engineers and workers here today. President of the convention RS Dahiya said protests and demonstrations would be held outside the headquarters of all operation circles in the state from January 8 to March 25. He said in case the government still goes ahead with the opening of tenders of franchise scheme, the engineers and workers would bring the work to a halt on the same day.

The convention was attended by thousands of members of constituent organisations of the Joint Action Committee, including Haryana Power Engineers Association, HSEB Workers Union and the All-Haryana Power Corporation Workers Union.

During the convention, indifferent attitude of the state government towards rectification of pay anomalies, regular recruitment on vacant posts, regularisation of casual labour engaged on DC rates with assuring minimum wages of Rs 10,000 for social security, restoration of ex gratia scheme was also condemned.

Dahiya said commercial as well as line losses in discoms were increasing due to privatising, outsourcing and contracting policies being followed by the state government. He said despite a shortage of 52 per cent of staff, engineers and workers of power utilities were putting in almost 12 to 14 hours each day to reduce line losses to a considerable extent.

He said if vacant posts were filled after dumping the privatisation, outsourcing and contracting policy, the transmission losses could be brought down further and better services could be provided to the consumers in the state.

SS Yadav stated that the group of engineers that was deputed in haste to Bhiwandi (Maharashtra) to prepare a report on privatisation of the distribution system had not interacted with consumers and workers due to shortage of time.

He said whatever documents were provided to them by the engineers of Toronto Company were supplied to the nigam’s management and the management had put the same before the government. He claimed that the group never submitted any report in favour of privatisation of the distribution system.

Padamjit Singh, chairman of the All-India Power Engineers Federation, said despite the state government’s decision to give the franchise of the distribution system , the work had not been awarded as yet. He said the move could create confusion over the rates on which tenders would be finalised as these would be quite different from the rates approved by the regulatory commission. Moreover, the franchise would further aggravate the matter by subletting the job to petty contractors, he said.

President of the Sarv Karamchari Sangh Ajad Singh Malik and president of the Haryana Karamchari Mahasangh Om Prakash Pahalwan said they had also decided to extend full support to the agitation.