Report by Kamgar Ekta Committee (KEC) correspondent
The Federal Council meeting of All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF) vehemently opposed the privatisation agenda of the central government through the Electricity (amendment) rules. Large scale privatisation of transmission is going on in almost every state in the name of competitive bidding.
The federal council meeting was held at Chennai and 23 state constituents from across the country participated in it including from Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttrakhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Assam, Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu.
AIPEF Chairman Shri Shailendra Dubey said that during last 10 years the central government prepared draft of electricity amendment Bill 5 times but could not succeed in getting them passed in two consecutive Lok Sabha terms.
Shri Rathnakar Rao, Secretary General of AIPEF said that power engineers will brief political leaders about the pitfalls of privatisation. The installation of smart meters in state power utilities is another way for privatisation of power Sector.
AIPEF amended its constitution to include women engineers in federal council. Er Moupali Mukhopadhyay from West Bengal was made Sr. Vice Chairman of the AIPEF.