Meerut Panchayat: Power staff announce fight against privatisation
Electricity employees in Meerut declared a fight against power sector privatisation, planning a statewide rally in Lucknow on April 9.
On Monday, a large number of electricity employees gathered in Meerut for a Bijli Panchayat where the National Coordination Committee of Electricity Employees and Engineers, UP Viduyt Karmachari Sanyukt Sangharsh Samiti, and State Electricity Board Junior Engineers’ Organisation declared a decisive struggle against power sector privatisation.
“Employees vowed to resist privatisation at any cost and pledged sacrifices for the cause. A statewide rally in Lucknow on April 9 will mark the beginning of a large-scale agitation, with specific protest programmes to be announced,” Sangharsh Samiti convenor Shailendra Dubey said.
Subhash Lamba from the National Coordination Committee of Electricity Employees and Engineers and the INTUC vice-president attended, expressing solidarity with UP’s power employees. They warned that if any worker faces repression, 27 lakh power employees across India would be forced to retaliate.
The panchayat passed a resolution alleging massive corruption behind privatisation, citing that 42 districts’ power services are being privatised without proper asset valuation or revenue potential assessment, violating Section 131 of the Electricity Act, 2003. It also pointed out conflict of interest in the appointment of transaction consultants.
Warning of steep tariff hikes post-privatisation, the resolution noted that power rates in Mumbai ( ₹17-18/unit), Kolkata ( ₹10-12/unit), and Delhi ( ₹10/unit) far exceed UP’s maximum rate of ₹6.50/unit. Employees claimed privatisation would push farmers and domestic consumers back to the lantern era.