Power sector workers of Uttarakhand, residents and traders are unitedly opposing transfer of land belonging to Hydel power projects to private hands. Through their struggle they are raising a very important issue which needs to be noted by working people across the country. We should be very watchful of various nefarious ways , various “names” under which various governments are pushing privatization of public assets.
Report by Kamgar Ekta Committee correspondent
On 27 March 2026, all the engineers and employees of three corporations under the banner of Uttrakhand Vidhyut Adhikari Karmchari Sanyukt Sangharsh Manch held a protest meeting at the head office of Uttrakhand Power Corporation at Dehradun. In addition to the opposition to Electricity Act Amendment Bill 2025, they also raised their 19 point demand charter. The main demand amongst them is that the state government should cancel its order to the transfer surplus land available with hydropower projects.
The Uttarakhand government issued an order (Dec 3, 2025) to transfer 76.73 hectares (~182 acres) of Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (UJVNL) land located in Dakpathar and Dhalipur (Dehradun district), to Uttarakhand Investment and Infrastructure Development Board (UIIDB). This land was originally allocated (since undivided UP days) specifically for power generation infrastructure. The joint struggle front is opposing this decision and demanding that the government of Uttarakhand should immediately cancel this decision. Local residents and traders are also opposing the government decision.
It is known that UIIDB’s role is to facilitate investment projects, often involving public–private partnerships (PPP) and industrial or infrastructure development with private participation. Hence workers are correctly pointing out that this step has privatization of hydel power projects as its ultimate aim. They are also warning that the diversion of land meant for strategic hydel projects will seriously affect the development of important national projects such as Lakhwar, Kishau and other Yamuna basin hydel projects which are either operational or under construction in the Dakpathar area. Experts have reportedly said that it is nearly impossible to find alternative land due to terrain constraints in the Himalayan region.
Over the last 3 decades, the Central government and various state governments have realised that “open privatization of public assets” is impossible to justify and such steps face huge backlash from people hence unpopular. Hence, these governments are using different names like Public Private Partnership (PPP), Asset Monetization (AM), Build Operate Transfer (BOT), Long term or short term leasing etc. which in reality are nothing else but privatization of public assets. In this case too, the Uttarakhand government knows that once land is no longer with a power utility, it becomes easier to lease it out or allocate it to private developers or to use it for non-power commercial purposes. Thus “asset stripping” can begin gradually, even without a direct privatization announcement.
So workers are correctly pointing out that
Land transfer today → project restructuring tomorrow → private entry later is the game plan behind this move also.
Uttarakhand power sector workers have thus raised an issue of great relevance for people and deserve support of the working people of India. Workers all across the country should be watchful of any similar attempts anywhere in the country.