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Haryana: Employees threaten statewide strike over proposed power sector reforms
The Joint Struggle Front warned that if the government fails to withdraw these policies, electricity employees across Haryana will observe a three-day statewide strike from August 11 to 13.
Dozens of power employees, under the banner of the Haryana Bijli Karamchari Evam Engineer Sanyukt Sangharsh Morcha, staged a protest at the City Office, Power Colony, Panchkula, on Tuesday against the Haryana government’s proposed power sector reforms. Raising slogans against what they termed “anti-worker and anti-public policies”, the protesters opposed parallel licensing, Agri DISCOM, smart metering and privatisation of the power sector.
The Joint Struggle Front warned that if the government fails to withdraw these policies, electricity employees across Haryana will observe a three-day statewide strike from August 11 to 13. They further announced that if any notification regarding Agri DISCOM is issued during this period, the agitation would be intensified into an indefinite strike.
The protesters also criticised a recent HVPNL management letter, alleging it threatened disciplinary action against employees participating in the strike. Calling the communication “intimidating and undemocratic”, they accused the management of attempting to divide the Joint Struggle Front by holding separate talks with individual unions.
Addressing the gathering, union leaders alleged that the proposed Agri DISCOM would impose an additional financial burden of ₹5,427 crore on the state exchequer. They also claimed that parallel licensing would allow private firms to operate only in profitable urban areas, leaving loss-making rural regions to government utilities, while smart prepaid meters could lead to immediate power disconnections for consumers and farmers once their prepaid balance is exhausted.
