‘Decision to privatise power distribution in UTs hurried'

“Ministry of power has drafted the Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2020, in haste and hurry to facilitate privatisation of power distribution network. These are also new avenues to sell public assets to private businessmen to their favourable term,” said COTEE general secretary S Rajendran in a letter to the Prime Minister.

Pointing out that entire electricity network of the country from generating station bus to premises of end consumers has been developed mainly by the State electricity boards with the cost from public exchequer, he said that 2.5 million electricity employees along with all trade unions and federation have opposed the centre’s attempt and some state government’s move to curb all rights of the workers.

“Hurry of the power minister of your government is such that they are not agreeable to compromise with the time for passing the impugned bill applicable to the whole of India. As declared by the Finance Minister on May 16, the electricity distribution network of the union territories will be privatised,” he said, adding that the private utilities operating in Delhi efficiently evade public scanner.

Puducherry is one of the union territories enjoying double the per capita electricity consumption rate in comparison to rest of India, he said, adding that the power minister of the Puducherry government opposed the privatisation noting that the PPDCL maintained financial surplus. “We fervently request you to impress upon your power ministry to abandon the plan of privatisation of power distribution of the union territories,” he demanded.