Report by Kamgar Ekta Committee (KEC) correspondent
Electricity employees and engineers of Telangana staged a protest demonstration in front of the Southern Discom (TSSPDCL) office in Hyderabad on Saturday, 1st October to express their solidarity with striking employees of the Power Department of Puducherry who are on an indefinite strike from September 28 against privatisation of the distribution business there. The demonstration was organised by the Telangana State Power Employees’ Joint Action Committee (TSPEJAC).
The government has decided to privatise electricity distribution in all the union territories.
The protest was addressed by TSPEJAC leaders Shri G. Saibabu, Shri P. Ratnakar Rao, Shri P. Sadanandam, Shri Venkata Narayana Reddy, Shri Anjaiah, Shri P.V. Rao, Shri Pavan Kumar and others.
They told protesting workers that the central government was trying to push through the Electricity Amendment Bill 2022 in the last session of Parliament to privatise the distribution business as part of its policy of privatising most of the public sector undertakings. About 25 lakh public sector power employees would go on strike in case the Centre goes ahead with its plans, which is against the interests of a large section of consumers including farmers as well as employees.