Uttar Pradesh power employees begin stir against privatisation of two key regions

The Vidyut Karamchari Samyukta Sangharsh Samiti – a union of power sector employees in Uttar Pradesh has started its public awareness and memorandum campaign to protest against the privatisation of electricity.

 

The public will be told that due to privatisation, electricity rates will increase at least three times for the farmers and common consumers of the poorest Purvanchal and Bundelkhand regions of the state. Giving the example of privatisation, employees are propagating the message that while the maximum price of domestic electricity in Uttar Pradesh in the private sector is ₹6.50 per unit, the private sector electricity rates for domestic consumers in Mumbai are ₹17 to ₹18 per unit, in Kolkata it is ₹10 to ₹12 per unit, and in Delhi, it is ₹8 to ₹10 per unit.

 

The biggest blow from privatisation will be faced by poor consumers and farmers. In Uttar Pradesh, where private companies are distributing electricity in Agra and Greater Noida, they do not provide free electricity to the farmers and the bills of domestic consumers are inflated.

 

Privatisation will also threaten the jobs of 50,000 contract employees who are anyway paid very low wages. As per the union, the private company will fire them as soon as the contract ends and these contract workers will be pushed to the brink of starvation.

 

Privatisation is proposed for two power corporations – Purvanchal and Dakshinachal which cover 42 districts of the state. Some 76,000 posts will be eliminated due to this.

 

The union is also cautioning people that private companies hire employees on contract at very low salaries. Thus, the youth and students of Uttar Pradesh will have to contend with the loss of possible jobs.

 

According to the agitating employees, a series of protest meetings and demonstrations will continue in all the districts and projects of the state till April 30 April during the Jan Jagran Pakhwada. The movement against privatisation will continue until the decision is withdrawn.

India