Report of correspondent of Kamgar Ekta Committee
Pune
On 5th August, electricity workers held gate meetings in many parts of Maharashtra to declare their united opposition to the aggressive plans of privatization by the state government.
Vashi
Kamgar Ekta Committee (KEC) activists participated in gate meetings in Thane, Kalyan, Navi Mumbai and Pune. Hundreds of leaflets brought out by KEC were distributed. The leaflet elaborates how the sole motive behind the Initial Public Offering (IPO) of Mahavitaran and Mahapareshan is to serve the demands of the big capitalists of our country. KEC activists also addressed the workers at all these gate meetings.
Kalyan
KEC speakers congratulated the various organizations of electricity workers who are tirelessly working to strengthen the unity of electricity workers across different departments and functions. They also highlighted the urgent need to actively work to enlist support of working people and farmers across Maharashtra who are electricity consumers.
Leaders of Maharashtra State Electricity Workers’ Federation, Subordinate Engineers Association, Maharashtra State Backward Classes Electricity Workers Association, Maharashtra State Swabhimani Workers Union and other union leaders spoke at these meetings. They declared their resolve to fight for the charter of 15 demands submitted to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. They denounced the duplicity of the state government – despite repeated assurances by the Chief Minister that no further privatization of power sector will be done, the government is still trying to push privatization through the backdoor . It is using various methods like parallel licensing and franchisee operation in distribution, closing down generation units in favour of private power generating entities like Adani power, listing and offering the shares of Mahapareshan and Mahavitaran for sale in the stock market, etc.