Refer Electricity (Amendment) bill to parliamentary panel: AIPEF to PM

Power sector engineers and employees of all the states across the country have issued a notice of agitation against the ‘unilateral attempt by the Centre’ to get the bill passed in Parliament.

Despite repeated requests by the AIPEF, the central government has not held any talks with the electricity engineers or the employees even once in the past regarding the proposed changes to the Electricity Act, 2003, Gupta said.

Last year, the Centre had promised through a written letter to the United Kisan Morcha that the Electricity (Amendment) Bill would not be introduced in the Parliament without consultation with all the stakeholders, including farmers, he said. Now, if the central government has taken a ‘unilateral decision’ to introduce the bill and pass it in the Parliament, then it is a clear violation of the written promise given to the United Kisan Morcha, Gupta added.

MPs of several major political parties have termed the bill anti-people and declared strong support to the agitation of the electricity workers, he said.

Gupta said that the central government wants private firms to make profit by using the network of public sector electricity distribution companies in the name of competition. The consumer wants a cheap and reliable power supply, not competition, he added.