Power Sector Staff, Engineers To Protest Against Electricity Amendment Bill on November 29: AIPEF

Power sector employees as well as engineers will hold demonstrations on November 29 at all state capitals to protest against the proposed Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2021, AIPEF said on Friday.

All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF) Chairman Shailendra Dubey asserted that the agitation is against the unilateral approach of the central government to rush through the bill in Parliament. "On the call of the National Coordination Committee of Electricity Employees & Engineers (NCCOEEE), power sector employees & engineers will hold protest demonstrations on 29th November at all State capitals against Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2021," an AIPEF statement said.

Dubey said NCCOEEE in a virtual meeting held on November 11 decided to demonstrate on the first day of Winter Session of Parliament its protest against any unilateral move of the Centre to pass the bill. Protest demonstrations will be held at all capitals of states and Union Territories.

He alleged that many provisions of Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2021 are anti-people and anti-employee and if enacted it will have far reaching adverse consequences. Dubey demanded that the bill should not be passed in Parliament in haste and it should be referred to the standing committee on energy.

Winter Session of Parliament begins on November 29. Main stakeholders of the power sector namely electricity consumers and electricity employees should be given the proper opportunity to express their view point on the bill before placing it in Parliament, Dubey opined.

He said that detailed agitation programmes during Winter Session of Parliament will be finalised on November 30 in NCCOEEE meeting to be held at Delhi.

(PTI)