Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 3: Power Employees and Engineers Coordination Committee, a constituent of All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF) a body of power engineers of the country has fully supported the struggle of farmers demanding withdrawal of farming laws and Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2020.
In the draft amendment of Electricity Act 2003 through the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2020, the All India Power Engineers Federation had strongly opposed the proposal of GOI to eliminate subsidy in electricity tariff. While the GOI had proposed the procedure of DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer), this was not agreed to by AIPEF as it amounts to snatching the subsidy of power to farmers.
Sachin Tickoo, convenor PEECC and general secretary JKEEGA, said that the proposal of DBT would lead to huge economic hardship to the farmers who would have to pay the electricity bills of their tube wells while there was no guarantee of matching DBT payments by the State Governments. He said the proposal of DBT had been strongly objected by most of the State Governments across the country.
Farmers are demanding that Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2020 must be withdrawn. The present move of GOI to introduce and implement the farmers laws is a part of the overall strategy of the present Central Govt to introduce privatization at every step which is not in the larger interest of the country. Already GOI has totally privatized the key activities in space, defense production, minerals and now electricity distribution companies / discoms are proposed to be privatized.
On November 23, 2020 the Finance Minister of India, while addressing the National Multinational Companies Conference 2020 stated that “Not just the MNCs but the entire industry and the economy are facing a reset exercise of doing business and this is being further strengthened by the Govt.” The Finance Minister further stated that “the momentum of economic reforms will continue to make India a hot spot of global investment”.
The JK Power Employees Coordination Commitee observed that the move to implement the farming laws and privatisation of electricity which is seen by GOI as one of the aspects of economic reforms, will actually give huge trading benefits to the corporates and economically destroy the farmers who will be deprived of due revenue from marketing of the food grains etc. The policy of GOI to benefit corporates will not only destroy agricultural activity it would also compromise the food security of the nation.
PEECC being state constituent of All India Power Engineers Federation while extending full support to the struggle of farmers across the country, called upon the Govt to withdraw the farming laws recently passed in parliament and protect the power subsidy of farmers by withdrawing the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2020 and Standard Bidding Document for privatisation of electricity.
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