Power employees held protests across UTs of J&K and Ladakh against the Government decision of privatization and wore black badges showing their utmost resentment demanding immediate revocation of the same. Power Employees under the banner of PECC comprising of various Unions of PDD led by Er. Jaipal Sharma, Er.Sachin, convenor PECC, Ajaz Kazmi and Sanjeev Bali of PPEU, Balbir Singh of Draftsman Association, Anil Slathia of Lineman and Workers Association, HD Singh of TEF, Parshottam Kumar of CNGEU, Jasbir Singh of ITI Employees, Tarun Gupta of PEU and Akhil Sharma of Need Based Union, Gurmeet Singh, CNGEA, held protests by wearing black badges and ribbons across all districts in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh on the issue of Government proposed Electricity Amendment Bill, 2020 for privatisation of the Power Sector through transferring the assets created with public exchequer inclusive of natural resources to private houses. The PECC strongly opposed the approach of Government ventilated through the proposed “draconian anti-people electricity legislation with clear objective of snatching away right of access to electricity from poor section of Indian people and peasants”. The conglomerate said that it is evident that the bill is for ease of making business for the profit monger community and all aspects related to right to electricity for poor people has been set aside. “We are anguished to note that when whole country is integrally fighting menace of COVID-19, the Ministry of Power is otherwise busy in curbing the people’s right to energy,” PECC strongly resented the announcements made by the Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman on the issue of privatisation of distribution sector of Power Development Departments starting with Union Territories. This move will be detrimental to the service rights of the 31000 Government employees including the daily-wager and need based workers who have been awaiting regularisation since more than 20 years and continuing to work day and night for maintaining smooth power supply 24×7. Thousands of electricity employees and engineers of UT of J&K of Power Development Department held a protest demonstrations maintaining social distance against the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2020 and move to privatize the power distribution in union Territories. Er. Harvrinder Singh (President JKEEGA), Kulbir Singh, provincial president (JKEEU) and P.C. Sharma, Provincial president (PEEU) under the banner of JKPEECC in a joint statement issued told that the power sector employees and engineers exercised their democratic right through wearing black badges and holding protest in all the parts of the country. All employees of Power Department be it engineers or non-engineers supported and acted upon the call given by the Chairman AIPEF Shalender Dubey and NCCOEE (National Coordination Committee of Electrical Employees). According to the joint statement issued, the Bill was termed as “anti-farmer” and “anti-domestic consumer”, they said the Bill paves the way for privatization of the entire power sector in the country. After its passage, the farmers will have to pay a monthly power tariff of Rs five to six thousands, while domestic consumers, will have to pay at least Rs eight to ten rupees per unit for consumption of up to 300 units per month. The protest demonstrations were held by JKCNGEEU at its district headquarters of the J&K in support of the ‘nationawide protest day’ call by the National Coordination Committee of Electricity Employees and Engineers (NCCOEEE) against the Union Government’s proposed Electricity-Amendment Bill, 2020 and privatization of Power Sector. The protesting employees and workers were demanding immediate withdrawal of such orders and intentions by the Union Government, as the move is totally anti-people and anti-employee. State president, Mohammad Afzal Bhat Fatehpuri said “the State Government has first unbundled the JK Power Development Department into various corporations and now the entire privatization of PDD would be both anti-employee and anti-consumer move. Provincial Electric Employees Union led by P C Sharma a constituent of Coordination Committee JKPEEC held a protest demonstration at Kathua. Addressing the protestors PC Sharma provincial president of the Union termed the privatisation decision of the Government anti employees, anti farmers and weaker sections of the society. He demanded immediate revocation of the anti people decision. Demanding immediate settlement of the problems of employees and workers he stressed on regularisation of daily wagers, need based workers etc and warned the Government not to test the patience of the workers of the PDD. Another demonstration was held by J&K Central Non Gazetted Electrical Employees Union (JKCNGEEU) at Union Office Choglamsar, Leh opposite Chief Engineer’s Office under the chairmanship of district president of Leh, Phuntsog Wangtak along with Rinchen Nurboo vice president and Abdul Star general secretary in support of the National Protest Day call by the National Coordination Committee of Electricity Employees and Engineers (NCCOEEE) against the Union Government’s proposed Electricity-Amendment Bill, 2020 and privatization of Power Sector. The protesting employees and workers were demanding immediate withdrawal of such orders and intentions by the Union Government, as the move is totally anti- people and anti-employee. District president, Phunchok Wangtak said “The State Government has first unbundled the JK Power Development Department into various corporation and now the entire privatization of PDD would be both anti-employee and anti-consumer move.
