Power sector employees stage protest in Guwahati city

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI Power sector employees of the State, under the aegis of the Coordinator Committee of Electricity Employees, Engineers & Pensioners of Assam, on Monday staged a protest against the Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2022 at the Bijulee Bhavan here.

However, keeping in mind the convenience of the public, the protestors ensured that power supply continued uninterrupted during the strike.

One of the protestors said, "The infrastructure of Rs 7 lakh crore is being transferred towards privatization through this Bill. The network is going to remain the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL) in name, but through this Bill the Government has invited private companies to supply power in profitable areas of the State."

The protestors further alleged that if private companies enter the sector in the State, then they will do business in profitable areas, due to which the APDCL may be left with no other option than to supply power in rural areas alone. They added that a scenario where the APDCL will be unable to supply electricity in town and city areas might automatically render it into a loss-making company.

The protestors expressed the fear that if APDCL becomes a loss-making company, then it might be closed down in future.

It may be mentioned that the Coordinator Committee of Electricity Employees, Engineers & Pensioners of Assam decided to boycott work on Monday as a sequel to the protest programme carried out in New Delhi on August 2 last by the National Convention of the National Coordination Committee of Electricity Employees and Engineers (NCCOEEE) in protest against the Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2022.

The coordination committee had said on Sunday that if the Central Government goes ahead and tables the Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2022 in the Parliament, then the NCCOEEE will be compelled to resort to a more intense democratic struggle.

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