Message to all power engineers and employees for historic success of protest programme on 8th august 2022 by Shri Shailendra Dubey, Chairman, All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF)
Brave Friends,
In protest against the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2022, today, electricity employees and engineers across the country, showed their steely unity, left the work place and held historic protests. The Central Government wanted to pass the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2022 in the Lok Sabha today, flouting the democratic traditions, but the result of a well-planned effort of all the federations of electricity workers and engineers was that almost all the opposition parties in the Lok Sabha have opposed the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2022 strongly, citing violation of democratic values and anti-people provisions of the bill. Finally, the government has to take back its steps for the time being and the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2022 could not be passed in the Lok Sabha today on 08 August. The Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2022 has been referred to the Standing Committee on Electricity Affairs of Parliament.
We will ask for time to present our side before the Standing Committee and will keep our point. In the meanwhile, we have to make the general public, especially the farmers and domestic consumers, fully aware about the anti-people and anti-employee provisions of this bill. At the same time, the power employees & engineers will also have to be mobilized for a decisive struggle. This campaign has to be run continuously.
Dr Ram Manohar Lohia used to say that when the road becomes silent, the Parliament becomes a vagabond. Dr. Lohia’s words seemed to be fully realized today. The Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2022 was not in the list of the monsoon session of Parliament. Suddenly it was put in the list on 6th August and on 8th August a supplementary list was issued and it was placed in the Lok Sabha for its introduction and passing. It was completely a mockery of democratic processes, but the way power workers across the country broke the silence of the road by coming out on the road, was the biggest factor in preventing the passage of the bill. By breaking the silence of the road, the electricity employees have curbed arbitrariness.
Revolutionary greetings to all the power employees & engineers for the historic success of today’s programs across the country with a call to resolve for a decisive struggle in the times to come.
Inquilab Zindabad!
@AIPEF