Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 24: On the call of National Coordination Committee of Electricity Employees and Engineers (NCCOEEE) and All India Power Employees Federation, Power Employees Coordination Committee comprising of engineers and employees of Jammu and Kashmir will also observe protest on November 26, 2020 for seeking withdrawal of Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2020 and to oppose privatization of electricity distribution in Union Territories.
“To rush through such changes in Power Sector at a time when the states/UT’s and general public face the novel corona virus (COVID-19) crisis is inexplicable, privatization of electricity is no way for power sector reforms, rather it will impact adversely upon poor domestic consumers, medium and small industries & and poor farmers. It seems the Central Government is out to destroy the power sector of country despite the fact that during the COVID-19 crisis, only the Public Sector Companies stood by the Government, while the private sector is nowhere visible in this bad time in the Country,” a spokesman of the Coordination Committee said.
All the Power engineers and employees of J&K feel the proposed amendments are not backed up by the sufficient application of the mind. The Centre should therefore refrain from going ahead with this amendment.The Jammu & Kashmir power employees in one voice oppose the proposal of Central Government move regarding privatization of DISCOMS in Union Territories, he added.
PDD has been corporatized post Aug 5, and within less than six months, the privatisation is being talked about. The unilateral approach of the UOI towards the Power sector of Jammu and Kashmir lacks consistency and appears to keep the employees and public in atmosphere of uncertainty. The Corporations have been operationalised from Oct 23, 2019 on existing staffing strength without taking any measures to implement the recommendations of the committee constituted vide Govt. Order No-161-PDD of 2019 dtaed-20-09-2019 for carving out corporations, thereby rendering the corporations ineffective, the spokesman added.
The Coordination Commitee has appealed all the employees of PDD across Jammu and Kashmir to observe peaceful protest on Nov 26, holding placards at their respective Divisions opposing the privatization move of the Government.
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