Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU/ SRINAGR, Aug 8: Thousands of Power Sector employees and workers held strong protest against Electricity Amendment Bill- 2022 across Jammu and Kashmir and UT of Ladakh.
Click here to watch video
The Jammu and Kashmir Power Employees and Engineers Coordination Committee (JKPEECC) held strong protests at all the district headquarters in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. Supporting the call of National Coordination Committee of Electricity Employees and Engineers for nation wide protest against the introduction of Electricity Amendment Bill -2022 which will open up the distribution of power for private players in the country, a large number of Power sector employees today came out on the roads to lodge their protest against the move.
The Coordination Committee said that the Bill should not be rushed through and instead be referred to the Standing Committee on Energy of Parliament. Moreover, the main stakeholders, power consumers and the power employees should be given the opportunity to place their view point before placing it in the Parliament.
During protest at Jammu, several senior members of the Coordination Committee, including Sachin Tickoo, Jaipal Sharma, Ashok Kumar, Jasbir Singh, Anil Slathia and others addressed the gathering. Similar protests were held at Srinagar, Anantnag, Baramulla, Kargil, Leh and others places.
J&K Non Gazetted Electrical Employees Association also held a protest demonstration at Miran Sahib, Jammu against the Government of India’s move to pass the Electricity Amendment Bill and demanded its immediate withdrawal.
Addressing a rally Gurmeet Singh senior leader and State secretary JKNGEEA at Jammu today termed the bill as anti people and anti employees and engineers. He said through this bill GoI wants to hand over the entire power sector to the private players and license to loot this vital sector of the economy which will put the tremendous hardships on the common consumers, farmers and the industry.
Meanwhile, lakhs of electricity employees and engineers from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and from Kutchh to Kamrup today joined hands to observe a protest demonstration against the Electricity Amendment Bill 2022, a move to privatise the power distribution in the country, All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF) spokesperson V K Gupta said.
Power Minister, RK Singh today introduced the Bill and the opposition parties strongly opposed the introduction of the Bill in Parliament. He said Power sector employees and engineers exercised their democratic right by boycotting their official duties and holding protests in all the states and UTs, including Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Assam, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh among others.
Gupta said that the quest for profit and greater commercial orientation than Government-owned power distribution companies seem to be the only aim of the Central Government. The Bill’s provisions on abolishing cross-subsidies will hit farmers and consumers adversely.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
