UP power employees will join the nationwide two-day strike from January 8 next year against the Indian Electricity (amendment) Bill 2018. The power employees are also demanding the restoration of the old pension scheme. The All India Power Federation and National Coordination Committee of Electricity Employees and Engineers (NCCOEEE) have served a notice on the Centre announcing to proceed on strike in case the government remained firm on its stand for the amendment in Indian Electricity Act. The power ministry is expected to push Electricity Amendment Bill in the forthcoming winter session of Parliament which provides for segregating the distribution network business and the electricity supply business.
“Twenty-five lakh members of NCCOEEE (power engineers and employees) will go on lightning strike if the Government takes the unilateral decision of bifurcating the existing distribution system of power supply,” co-convener of NCCOEEE and chairman of All India Power Engineers’ Federation Shailendra Dubey said on Tuesday.
In order to make masses aware about the “draconian change”, which is anti-people and pro-corporate houses, NCCOEEE will stage a massive demonstration in Delhi during the winter session of Parliament, Dubey added. The separation will pave the way for introducing a new system where consumers will have the option to choose from multiple electricity service providers in their areas, similar to that of telecom services. Justifying the move of NCCOEEE, Dubey said it was virtually privatising the profit and nationalising the losses in power sector. “The worst part of the move is that it will be a “bumper profit” gift to corporate houses for which the power consumers will have to pay,” he added.