On the call of the National Coordination Committee of Electricity Employees and Engineers (NCCOEEE), all the power employees and engineers of the power utilities across the country observed ‘Anti-

Privatisation Day’ on Friday and held meetings in all the districts and projects.

All India Power Engineers Federation chairman Shailendra Dubey accused the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation management of misleading the employees and creating an atmosphere of fear and industrial unrest in the energy corporations.

They warned that if the management releases the draft RFP document before starting the bidding process, the dangers of privatisation will automatically be revealed and the scam behind privatisation will be exposed.

NCCOEEE has warned that as soon as the bidding documents for privatisation in Uttar Pradesh are released, lakhs of power employees will be forced to take to the streets.

Dubey said that if any attempt is made to hand over the electricity department of Chandigarh to a private company, there would be a sharp reaction, and the power employees would take to the streets across the country.

Describing privatisation as a big scam, he said that assets worth billions of rupees were being sold at throwaway prices. The conspiracy to sell would not be allowed to succeed, he said, adding, “Chandigarh’s electricity assets worth Rs 22,000 crore are being given to a private company for just Rs 871 crore.”

Protest meetings were held in all the districts and projects, including Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh.

Dubey said that the power employees and engineers of Uttar Pradesh are continuously engaged in improving the electricity system and making the OTS scheme, starting from December 15, successful.

“However, it is not known why the UP Power Corporation management has decided to privatise power distribution companies covering 42 districts of the state,” he pointed out.

He asked on what basis the undoubtedly valuable land of Purvanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam and Dakshinanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam, worth billions of rupees, would be handed over to private entities for just one rupee.

“This is a public asset. Due to all these issues, power employees and consumers are very upset and agitated,” Dubey said.