AIPEF holds first-ever FE Meet in Srinagar; calls for strike on Nov 23 against new Electricity Bill on Nov 23

18 September 2022

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Srinagar, Sept 18: Large number of electricity workers and engineers across the country are planning to hold a demonstration in the capital Delhi on November 23 in protest against the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2022 and privatization. Pertinently, for the first time in the history of AIPEF, the Federal Executive Meeting of AIPEF is being held in Srinagar, J&K.

In the Federal Executive Meeting of All India Power Engineers Federation(AIPEF) held in Srinagar today, it was decided that Power Engineers across the country will hold a massive demonstration in Delhi on 23rd November in protest against the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2022, as per a statement issued to Ziraat Times. It was also decided in the federal executive meeting that if the central government makes any unilateral effort to pass the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2022, then all the electricity workers and engineers across the country will be forced to go on strike, the statement added.

It is noteworthy that the All India Power Engineers Federation is celebrating its Golden Jubilee year and the first meeting of the All India Power Engineers Federation in the Golden Jubilee year was held in Srinagar today. JKEEGA President Sachin Tickoo and General Secy Peerzada Hidaytullah welcomed the delegates

About 50 delegates mainly from Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Delhi, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Damodar Valley Corporation participated in the meeting. Federation Chairman Shailendra Dubey, Secretary General P Ratnakar Rao, Chief Patron Padmajit Singh, Patron K Ashok Rao and PN Singh, besides Presidents and General Secretaries of Electricity Engineer Associations of various provinces attended.

Federation Chairman Shailendra Dubey, while terming Electricity (Amendment) 2022 as anti-people and anti-employee, in the inaugural address called upon the power engineers across the country that the time has come to stop this anti-people bill. We will have to come on the road and one has to be ready for a nationwide strike in protest against any unilateral action of the Central Government. He said that a huge rally will be held in Delhi on November 23. Before the rally, four Bijli Kranti Yatras will be started from the eastern, southern, western and northern parts of the country which will turn into a massive demonstration in Delhi on November 23. A massive public awareness campaign will be launched by mobilizing electricity employees and common electricity consumers through Electricity Revolution Yatras. He alleged that through the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2022, the central government is going to privatize the entire power sector. Private companies will be given the right to supply electricity using the network of government discoms. Private companies will come to make profit and make huge profit by using the network of Government Company by giving electricity only to profitable sector i.e. industrial and commercial consumers. Only the loss-making poor domestic consumers and farmers will be left with the government power distribution companies. Naturally, the government power distribution companies will become financially poor and after that the government, the network of government power distribution companies will also pay the private companies at a penny price. He said that this bill is neither in the interest of the consumers nor in the interest of the electricity employees, so it will be made a mass movement by running a massive campaign against it.

As far as J&K is concerned there is a huge resentment among the engineers over long pending issue of regularisation and stagnation of engineers, the statement said.

J&K Power engineer’s are suffering on account of non regularisation, stagnation at all levels, hundreds of vacancies are lying u filled in the hierarchy. The SRO of assured career progression has also not been issued till date. AIPEF extends whole hearted support to J&K Power Engineers in their struggle for fulfilling of their genuine demands”, the statement added.

Federation Secretary General Ratnakar Rao, Chief Patron Padamjit Singh and Patron Ashok Rao, PN Singh and office bearers from different provinces resolved to wage a decisive struggle against the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2022.

Federal executive meeting passed the resolutions for integration of power corporations, restoration of old pension, stop all kind of privatization, regular recruitment on regular posts.