Franchise system not ‘privatisation’
Tribune News Service

Gurgaon, January 11
Haryana Minister for Power, Labour and Employment, Food and Supply, Urban Local bodies and Industry and Commerce Mahender Pratap Singh said today that the franchise system was not privatisation of the power utilities and the state government was planning to appoint franchisees keeping in view of the welfare of power consumers.

However, this would be done after analysing merits and demerits of the system. The employees and officers of power utilities need not get swayed by misinformation about the system.

The minister was addressing district officers of Gurgaon at the local mini-secretariat today. He said the state government wanted to provide better services to the power consumers and the franchise system was being experimented. If the system failed to provide the desired quality of services, the government would say goodbye to it.

The minister affirmed that franchise system was not privatisation because neither there was a change in power tariffs nor it would have any effect on the service of the power utility employees.

Referring to the steps taken by the state government for improvement in power supply, he said for the first time in state Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has taken initiative to increase the power generation capacity of Haryana which was going to be doubled by 2012 and after this, the state would be in a comfortable position in terms of power supply. He said at present, there was a difference of about 15 to 20 per cent in the power availability and consumption. It may be more in Gurgaon.

He stated that though Gurgaon today has become a famous city on the international level, this city can equate with Shanghai if officers and employees develop the city with proper planning and get the works completed in stipulated time frame.