Private companies dominate among the organizations hosting and supporting the meet in Mumbai;
the conflict of interest issue in Uttar Pradesh due to the All India Discom Association’s key role in privatization;
and state-wide protests against privatization
Statement of Vidyut Karmachari Sanyukta Sangharsh Samiti, Uttar Pradesh
The Uttar Pradesh Vidyut Karmachari Sanyukta Sangharsh Samiti stated that the main agenda of the Distribution Utility Meet 2025, to be held in Mumbai on November 4th and 5th, is the privatization of power distribution corporations. The dominance of the All India Discom Association and private companies is clearly evident at this meeting.
The agenda released for the Distribution Utility Meet 2025 makes it quite clear that the All India Discom Association is in collusion with private houses and this Association has the most prominent role in privatization.
Central office bearers of the Uttar Pradesh Vidyut Karamchari Sanyukta Sangharsh Samiti stated that the Distribution Utility Meet 2025 is organized by the Indian Smart Grid Forum, a private organization registered under the Societies Act. Visiting this organization’s website reveals that its primary objective is to advance privatization.
The Sangharsh Samiti stated that it is deeply objectionable that Ashish Goyal, Chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation, is engaged in the privatization of the Purvanchal and Dakshinanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigams in his capacity as Chairman, while, on the other hand, as General Secretary of the All India Discom Association, Ashish Goyal is in collusion with private companies. The Sangharsh Samiti stated that this is a clear case of conflict of interest, which is a very serious matter.
The Distribution Utility Meet is hosted by Tata Power and co-hosted by BSES Rajdhani Power and BSES Yamuna Power, Reliance Power’s power distribution companies. It is worth noting that the CEO of the main host, Tata Power, has announced several times that Tata Power is eager to acquire the Purvanchal and Dakshinanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigams in Uttar Pradesh.
The Sangharsh Samiti said that it is noteworthy that a similar distribution utility meeting was held in Lucknow in November 2024. At this meeting, the All India Discom Association was formed, with Lokesh Chandra, CMD of the Maharashtra Electricity Distribution Corporation, appointed as president, Ashish Goyal, Chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation, as general secretary, and P.R. Kumar of the Noida Power Company as treasurer. Just days after the Lucknow meeting, the privatization of the Purvanchal and Dakshinanchal Electricity Distribution Corporations was announced.
The Sangharsh Samiti stated that the agenda for the Distribution Utility Meet 2025 clearly demonstrates that the process of electricity privatization is being accelerated in Uttar Pradesh, and that subsequent preparations are underway for the privatization of electricity in Maharashtra. Therefore, the Sangharsh Samiti has appealed to Maharashtra’s electricity workers to strongly oppose the Distribution Utility Meet 2025, scheduled to be held in Mumbai on November 4-5.
Today, on the 296th day of the ongoing andolan against the privatization of Purvanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam and Dakshinchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam, electricity workers staged a massive protest across the state.
Today, on 19 September, strong protests were held mainly in Varanasi, Agra, Meerut, Kanpur, Gorakhpur, Mirzapur, Azamgarh, Basti, Aligarh, Mathura, Etah, Jhansi, Banda, Bareilly, Devipatan, Ayodhya, Sultanpur, Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar, Bulandshahr, Noida, Ghaziabad, and Moradabad.