Power Workers Protest Discom Privatisation in India

New Delhi, Jan 31 (PTI) Lakhs of power sector workers held a nationwide agitation on Friday against the government's move to privatise discoms in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chandigarh.

The power employees, totalling about 27 lakh, will continue their protest on Saturday, Shailendra Dubey, Chairman of All India Power Engineers' Federation (AIPEF), said.

"Electricity distribution (utilities) are being privatised in Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan, against which power employees took to the streets today," he said.

In UP, the government is moving ahead with the privatisation of Purvanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Ltd (PVVNL) and Dakshinanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Ltd (DVVNL), AIPEF Chairman Shailendra Dubey said.

"On what basis will the assets worth billions of rupees of UP discoms PVVNL and DVVNL be handed over to private houses through their privatisation?" he questioned.

The two discoms alone cover 42 of 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh.

Dubey also said the power department of Chandigarh is being handed over to a private entity for Rs 871 crore, whereas its assets cost Rs 22,000 crore.

In Rajasthan, the process is on to privatise Rajasthan GENCO, he said.

Massive demonstrations were held on Friday in Lucknow, Chandigarh, Jabalpur, Bhopal, Vadodara, Mumbai, Nagpur, Raipur, Trivandrum, Chennai, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Bengaluru, Puducherry, Ranchi, Kolkata, Guwahati, Patiala, Shimla, Dehradun, Hisar, Jammu, Srinagar, Srinagar, Jaipur, Dubey added.