Press Note of Maharashtra Rajya Veej Karmachari, Adhikari, Abhiyanta Sangharsh Samiti (Maharashtra State Electricity Workers, Officers, Engineers Struggle Committee)
(Translation of Marathi Press Note into English)
Maharashtra Rajya Veej Karmachari, Adhikari, Abhiyanta Sangharsh Samiti (Maharashtra State Electricity Workers, Officers, Engineers Struggle Committee)
Press-Note Nashik Dated 7.12. 2022
Decision of 30 Unions of Electricity Company Employees, Engineers and Officers about Struggle and Indefinite Strike against Privatization Policy of Maharashtra’s Power Industry through Adani Company
Adani Electrical Company has applied to the Maharashtra State Electricity Regulatory Commission for a parallel license to distribute electricity in a region that is at present under the jurisdiction of the Government of Maharashtra, an area that generates tremendous revenue of more than Rs. 1000 crore. This region includes more than 5 lakh electricity consumers in Navi Mumbai, Panvel, Uran, Thane, Mulund, Bhandup, Taloja areas. Adani Company wants the distribution to be transferred to it from Mahavitaran (the government owned MSEDCL, Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd.)
Thus, a private corporate house has applied for the approval of a parallel license with the aim of maximizing profits from the area that is fully industrialized and will develop further in the future.
Mahavitaran is the largest and most efficient company in Asia and the central government has announced many awards considering the overall efficiency and management of the company. A company which has earned a profit of Rs. 135 crore in 2021-22, which earns a record revenue and a region where there are no agricultural consumers has been selected for privatisation.
All organizations in Sangharsh Samiti strongly opposed this action. The profits earned by the Mahavitaran Company are used for the state’s benefit, for its development, while Adani is coming into this sector with the aim of making maximum profit, not for providing services.
If privatisation is carried out, the cross-subsidy that is provided to agricultural consumers will become zero from the area covered by Adani. This will increase the price (tariff) of electricity and it will be impossible to provide electricity to farmers, household consumers, and vulnerable groups at cheap rates.
Opposition to establishment of agricultural power company along with privatization
The Maharashtra government has constituted a committee under the chairmanship of former energy secretary Shri Jayant Kawle to establish an independent power company for the agricultural consumers of the state. This new provision is for the benefit of the corporate house that is trying to compete and grab all the profitable consumers, while leaving out the loss-making consumers such as agricultural pump sets, public water distribution and lighting and domestic consumers for the new agricultural power company; that is why all our organisations are strongly opposed to it.
Small hydro power of Mahanirmiti (the government owned Mahagenco or Maharashtra State Power Generation Company) in the vortex of privatization
Since the creation of Maharashtra, the power generation project created by the erstwhile Vidyut Mandal of the water resources department of the state government and now the Mahanirmiti Company has been operating the power generation, operation and system in a very good manner for more than 35 years. Today all these projects are profitable.
The Mahanirmiti Company is seeking permission from the government to carry out repairs and maintenance and run it excellently in the future. At the same time, the government has secretly started an attempt to take away the work from the Mahanirmiti Company and transfer it to private capitalists in the name of repair and maintenance of the project.
The Maharashtra government should keep all the hydropower projects with its owns generating company, Mahanirmiti; if they try to give the project to private capitalists the Sangharsh Committee has decided to strongly oppose it.
The government has issued an order to the private and Mahanirmiti thermal power plants to get coal from Adani’s coal company that is abroad. The government should not order the import coal from abroad. The Sangharsh Committee has decided to strongly oppose the order.
The organizations participating in the Sangharsh Samiti are agitated about the above very important issues and if the government and administration take a unilateral decision to privatize any of the three companies by any method, the 30 organizations participating in the Sangharsh Samiti have decided as follows to protest against that decision.
Stages of agitation
- On 12th December 2022 to hold gate meetings in Maharashtra.
- On 14th December 2022, submitting representations to Hon’ble Minister, MPs, MLAs, Municipal Corporations, Municipal Councils, Panchayat Committees, Zilla Parishads, Gram Panchayat members, social organizations, consumer organizations, farmers’ organizations and trade unions and holding gate meetings.
- On 16th December 2022, holding of gate meetings in Maharashtra.
- On 19th December 2022, indefinite non-cooperation movement with the managements of the three companies.
- On 23rd December 2022, Morcha on the Nagpur Vidhan Sabha.
- On 29th December 2022 holding of gate meetings in Maharashtra.
- On January 2, 2023, Morcha on the Thane Collectorate.
- On January 4,2023, 72 hours strike.
- On January 16, 2023, holding of gate meetings in Maharashtra.
- Indefinite strike from January 18, 2023 from 00.00 hrs.
Yours faithfully,
Maharashtra Rajya Veej Karmachari, Adhikari, Abhiyanta Sangharsh Samiti (Maharashtra State Electricity Workers, Officers, Engineers Struggle Committee)
Organisations participating in the Maharashtra Rajya Veej Karmachari, Adhikari, Abhiyanta Sangharsh Samiti:
- Maharashtra State Electricity Workers Federation
- Maharashtra Veej Kamgar Mahasangh
- Subordinate Engineers Association
- Maharashtra Rajya Magasvargiya Vidyut Karmachari Sanghatan
- Vidyut Kshetra Tantrik Kamgar Union
- Maharashtra Rajya Veej Tantrik Kamgar Sanghatana
- Maharashtra Rajya Veej Karmachari, Adhikari, Abhiyante Sena
- Maharashtra Rajya Veej Kamgar Congress (INTUC)
- Graduate Engineers Association
- Maharashtra Rajya Swatantra Bahujan Veej Karmachari Sanghatana
- Maharashtra Rajya Swabhimani Vidyut Workers Union
- Maharashtra Rajya Vidyut Mandal Adhikari Sanghatana
- Power Front MSEB Workers Union
- Maharashtra Rashtrawadi Veej Kamgar Congress
- Maharashtra Navnirman Veej Kamgar Sena
- Maharashtra Rajya Vidyut Operator Sanghatana
- Bahujan Vidyut Abhiyanta, Adhikari wa Karmachari Forum
- Maharashtra Rajya Veej Nirmiti Kamgar Sanghatana
- Bahujan Power Karmachari Sanghatana
- Maharashtra Rajya Rashtriya Veej Kamgar Federation (INTUC)
- MSEB Karyalayeen Adhikari Karmachari Sanghatana
- Rashtriya Veej Drivers and Cleaners Association
- Electricity Linestaff Association
- Aadim Karmachari Sanghatana
- Chaturtha Shreni Vidyut Kamgar Sanghatana
- Suraksha wa Dakshata Vibhag Adhikari Sanghatana (a)
- Tantrik Kamgar Union
- Aadim Kamgar Sanghatana
- Maharashtra Rajya Vidyut Shramik Congress
- Maharashtra Rajya Vidyut Bahujan Adhikari Karmachari Sangh
- Krantikari Line Staff Sena