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Haryana power engineers and employees protest introduction of franchisee system
28-Jan-2010 Vinod Kumar Gupta
Hissar: The agitated power engineers and employees under the banner of Haryana Power Engineers & Worker’s Joint Action Committee today held a protest demonstration against the decision of Government for handing over the Distribution of Electricity System to Franchises in Panipat and Gurgaon.

The demonstration was headed by senior Leaders of Engineers Association R.S.Dahiya, Sumer Singh Yadav and Worker’s Leaders Raj Singh Dahiya and Davender Hooda Thousands of engineers and employees of Fatehabad, Tohana, Hansi, Hisar Divisions participated in the demonstration.

RS Dahiya alleged that the decision of Government for Franchises is against the consumers, Nigams and employees and officers whereas actually it is a decision of extending profit to Private Companies. He further declared in the rally that in case theGovernment moves ahead to start the tendering process for franchisee system by engineers and employees the work in all the four Vidyut Nigams shall be disrupted on the same day.

R S Yadav emphasized for removal of anomalies in pay scales of employees & officers, filing up 30,000 vacant posts of different categories by way of promotion or regular recruitment ,and paying of minimum wages at the rate of Rs.10,000/-.

Raj Singh Dahiya and Davender Hooda, told the gatherings that under the pretext of controlling the increase in financial deficit and line losses, theGovernment had decided to hand over the work of Distribution of Electricity supply system of Industrial Centers of Panipat and Gurgaon to Franchises.

It was also alleged that at the time of dissolving the erstwhile HSEB it was mentioned here was financial deficit to the tune of Rs.400 Crores but the financial deficit of DHBVN and UHBVN has increased to the extent of Rs. 1261 Crores and 2778 Crores respectively during the year 1998-99. But owing to implementation of wrong policies by the Nigam’s administration as well asGovernment, the financial deficit which was to the tune of Rs.400 crores, has been aggravated to the tune of Rs.4039 Crores

They urged that the state Government instead of handing over both these Panipat & Gurgaon Industrial Centers which contribute 33% towards the revenue of the Nigams to Franchises should re-assess the policies of outsourcing, privatization, Contract system etc.

Vir Singh and Subhash Lamba stated that the increase in financial deficit and line losses cannot be attributed to the employees and engineers. It was pointed out that payment worth crores of rupees has been released to Haryana Ex-Servicemen League without carrying out the jobs like meter reading, bill distribution and cash collection.

R.L.Kamboj, R.L.Bhanot, Satbir Sharma, Ved Parkash Sharma, Naresh Kumar, Kanwar Singh, Devi Singh, Ramesh Chand, Satbir Panghal, R.L.Kamboj, R.L.Bhanot Kanwar Singh Yadav, Jai Singh, Devi Singh Panwar, Naresh Kumar M.L.Grover, and Anil Sharma also addressed the gathering.