TSPEJAC opposes Electricity Amendment Bill, threatens stir

Hyderabad: Strongly opposing the union Power Ministry’s plan to table the Electricity Amendment Bill-2022 for consideration in the winter session of the Parliament, Telangana State Power Engineers Joint Action Committee (TSPEJAC) alleged that the Centre is bringing the Bill to privatize the power sector in the country and destroy public sector power utilities. Warning that […]

Hyderabad: Strongly opposing the union Power Ministry’s plan to table the Electricity Amendment Bill-2022 for consideration in the winter session of the Parliament, Telangana State Power Engineers Joint Action Committee (TSPEJAC) alleged that the Centre is bringing the Bill to privatize the power sector in the country and destroy public sector power utilities.

Warning that any unilateral move to rush through the bill in Parliament would force electricity employees and engineers of the power sector across the country to go on strike. the TSPEJAC extended support to the All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF) call to hold demonstrations in the national capital on November 23 to protest against the Electricity (Amendment) Bill.

---

Addressing TSPEJAC members on Friday, Engineers Association president P Ratnakar Rao said the Bill was neither in favour of consumers nor public sector power utilities. “The bill will pave the way to privatization of State electricity boards, resulting in a steep increase in power tariff,” he said, adding that private companies would be given the right to supply electricity using the network of government discoms, thereby causing huge loss to public sector power utilities.

Fearing that the private sector would supply electricity only to profitable sectors such as industrial and commercial consumers, he said the loss-making domestic sector and farmers would suffer.

Earlier, the TSPEJAC members staged a protest against the Bill in front of the TSSPDCL corporate office at Mint compound and took out a rally.