Report received from Com. Krishna Bhoyar, National Secretary, All India Federation of Electricity Employees
Solidarity of all the electricity workers and engineers of the country is necessary to prevent the power industry from going into private hands – Com. Mohan Sharma, General Secretary, All India Electricity Employees Federation.
On 11th, 12th and 13th November 2021, the 49th Annual General Conference of the Uttar Pradesh Electricity Employees Union (Affiliated to All India Trade Union Congress and All India Federation of Electricity Employees) at Rajshri Mandapam Hall (Hindi Sahitya Sammelan) Prayagraj (Allahabad) at 1 pm, was inaugurated by Com. Mohan Sharma, National General Secretary, All India Federation of Electricity Employees, by garlanding the statue of Com. Harish Tiwari, former General Secretary and Com. Vasudev Pandey, former President.
Prayagraj’s President, Prakash Chandra Yadav welcomed him on the revolutionary soil and said that we are happy that Uttar Pradesh Electricity Employees Union got the opportunity to organize a state convention for the third time; before this we have held two conferences. Prayagraj has gained lot of fame. It has the confluence of Ganga and Yamuna. It is said that the Saraswati River is also found here secretly. That is why it is called Triveni Sangam. Kumbh Mela is held every twelve years at this place. Ardh Kumbh Mela is held every six years. It is said that the name of this district was derived from the name of Akbar’s Din-e-Ilahi. According to another belief, at one time Manu and his wife Shraddha met friends with the longing for the happiness of children. A Yagnya named Varun was performed. Goddess Shraddha said that I wished to have a girl child, but Manu wanted a son. He was blessed with a daughter, who was named Ila. In her name it is called Elawat. Later it came to be called Eilabad. Here, well known places are Sangam, Allahabad Fort, Swaraj Bhavan, Anand Bhawan, Hanuman Mandir, Shankar Vimana Mandapam, Hanumanth Niketan, Saraswati Kupa Samudra Kupa, Mankameshwar Temple, Shiv Kuti, Apart from Bharadwaj Ashram, Memo Memorial Hall, Stone Church, Triveni Post, Someshwar Nath Temple, Sacha Baba Ashram and Narsingh Temple, etc. The role of Allahabad has been important in the Indian freedom struggle.
The rise of the national awakening took place on the land of Allahabad. The city became the center of inspiration in the Gandhi era. The Indian National Congress organization has made an important contribution to this city. There are many achievements of this city. It is not possible to tell them all due to time constraints. I congratulate you all my friends at the convention.
As a special guest on the stage of the conference, Mr. Vinod Kumar, Chief Engineer (Distribution) Prayagraj Region, Sadruddin Rana as Chief Speaker, President, Uttar Pradesh Electricity Employees Union and National Secretary All India Trade Union Congress Acting Speaker as Distinguished Speaker Com. Jawaharlal Vishwakarma, Uttar Pradesh Electricity Employees Union and National Secretary All India Electricity Employees Federation and as speaker Com. Chandrashekhar, General Secretary, Uttar Pradesh Trade Union Congress, and Com. Krishna Bhoyar, National Secretary, All India Electricity Employees Federation and General Secretary, Maharashtra State Electricity Workers Federation were present. Hundreds of employees, engineers of the state were present.
National Secretary of All India Trade Union Congress and National General Secretary of All India Federation of Electricity Employees Com. Mohan Sharma said in his address that in 1961, Com.Harish Tiwari in association with Com. Bardhan, built a union of electricity workers at the national level in the electricity power station of Khaparkheda, Maharashtra. I am a witness to that. The All-India Federation of Electricity Employees formed at that time leads more than 10 lakh electricity workers, engineers and constitution workers of the country. I congratulate the militant engineers and employees of Uttar Pradesh because of the way they fought against the privatization in the state and stopped it. The strike of the electricity workers in Uttar Pradesh set a new record. The public sector has developed the power industry in country in the true sense. Before independence, 1362 MW electricity was produced in our country, whereas today 3,77,268 MW electricity is produced in the country. After 1990, private companies came in the generation of electricity, against which we protested a lot. We are opposing privatization since a long time. The central government wants to give the country’s electricity industry in private hands. Before the new amended bill came, privatization started in Chandigarh, Dadra, Nagar Haveli. Despite the struggle, the central government is trying to pass a new law despite the opposition of the stakeholders. The Chief Ministers of many states of the country have strongly opposed it. More than 500 farmers’ unions of the country have strongly opposed the new amended electricity law along with three agricultural laws. Workers and farmers will have to come together and fight, this is the need of the hour.
Chairman of the meeting Com. Sadduddin Rana while addressing said that the present government of the country is doing the work of selling all the government institutions and resources of the country. We all have to fight unitedly to stop it. Together we all have gathered against privatization in the state and fought. It is discussed even today as an example for the electricity labor movement of the country. In the coming times too, we will all together agitate against privatization. Together we will also work to strengthen our organization in the state. Over three days we will take decisions after discussing many important topics in the conference. We have full confidence that you will make the conference a success by participating fully. Inqalab Zindabad, Majdoor Ekta Zindabad.
Addressing the conference, the General Secretary of Maharashtra State Electricity Workers Federation, Com. Krishna Bhoyar said that the convention is being held at a time when the whole country is being pushed towards privatization. You people are very militant comrades. We are also fighting against privatization in Maharashtra for a long time. The privatization of electricity industry is an attack on the constitution of the country. We all have to fight together and stop it. Congratulations and best wishes from all the power workers, engineers and constitutional (Samvidha Karmachari) employees of Maharashtra for the success of the conference.
The Uttar Pradesh Electricity Employees Union General Conference was addressed by the leaders of many unions of the state and labor leaders of other departments.
The conference was conducted by the Chief General Secretary of Uttar Pradesh Electricity Employees Union, Com. Mahendra Rai. Participation of Acting President Jawaharlal Vishwakarma, Keshar Singh Rawat, Kanai Ram, Asharfi Lal, B.K. Awasthi, Ajay Kumar Singh, Ramlal Pal, Pawan Kumar Bhardwaj, Mo. Yunus, Ramkripal Yadav, Durgpal Singh, Rameshwar Prasad, Chandramohan, Prakash Chandra Yadav, Ramesh Tripathi, Lalan Ram, Chandrabhan Rai, Hemant Nandan Ojha, Sitaram Yadav made the first session of the conference a success.
