Power Engineers Demands Govt. to Withdraw Disputed Electricity Bill

The All-India Power Engineers Federation,  AIPEF, expressed dissatisfaction that the government had scheduled the Bill for presentation in Parliament without accepting any of the recommendations raised in its own PCLP. The winter session of Parliament’s is going to commence on November 29.

Before bringing the controversial Bill in Parliament on Friday, AIPEF asked that the Central government drop the planned Electricity (Amendment) Bill and implement the Pre Legislative Consultation Policy (PLCP).

“We have addressed a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking him to intervene in the situation and instruct authorities to guarantee the implementation of PLCP policy before bringing the Bill in Parliament,” said Shailendra Dubey, chairman of AIPEF. 

According to AIPEF, if the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2021 is not retracted and is unilaterally tabled in Parliament, 1.5 million power personnel and engineers across the country would be forced to resort to a statewide strike until the Bill is withdrawn.

“The future course of action will be decided at the National Coordination Committee of Electricity Employees and Engineers (NCCOEEE) meeting on December 3 in Delhi,” Dubey added.

They feared that in addition to privatizing the distribution sector, the law is detrimental to customers and employees since it might result in higher energy costs and a lack of job security.

The speakers stated that the attempt to de-license power distribution is ineffective at ensuring efficient and cost-effective electricity delivery to people. They remarked that the goal of providing customers with options would not be met unless the changes were meticulously developed while taking into consideration the ground realities.