Maharashtra electricity employees, officers and engineers will not tolerate any effort to privatise any part of the electricity sector

Letter to the Maharashtra Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister & Energy Minister by Maharashtra Rajya Veej Karmchari, Adhikari, Abhiyanta Sangharsh Samiti

(English translation of letter in Marathi)

Panvel 9th December 2022

To,
Honourable Eknath Shinde Sahib,
Chief Minister,
Maharashtra State,
Mantralaya,
Mumbai.

To,
Honourable Devendraji Phadnavis Sahib,
Deputy Chief Minister and Energy Minister,
Maharashtra State,
Mantralaya,
Mumbai.

Subject: Stiff opposition of the Sangharsh Samiti and Notice for indefinite strike; the parallel license applied for to the Electricity Regulatory Commission by Adani electrical company for the area under the Bhandup circle of Mahavitran company.
References:

The decision taken in the meeting of the participatory organisations of the Sangharsh Samiti on 5th November at Panvel.
The notice for struggle given by the Sangharsh Samiti on 13/11/2022 to oppose the policy of the state government regarding privatisation of the electricity industry in Maharashtra.
The decision to struggle taken by the participatory organisations of the Sangharsh Samiti in Nashik on 27/11/22, 28/11/2022 and 8/12/2022.

Sir,
You have received the letter regarding reference to mentioned above. While the work of electricity companies is proceeding well, the state government has taken up the policy of privatisation. According to that policy, in that letter it was clearly stated that no method of privatisation will be tolerated in the generation, distribution, transmission. Despite this, Adani Electrical company has applied for parallel license to the Maharashtra State Electricity Regulatory Commission for distribution in the Bhandup circle. News regarding this has been published in all the newspapers. Adani Electrical has asked for registration of notices and objections with the Electricity Regulatory Commission up to 26/12/2022. That is why online meetings of the Sangharsh Samiti were promptly held on 27/11/2022 and 28/11/2022 and an actual meeting in Nashik on 8/12/2022. It has been decided to carry out a systematic struggle against the privatisation policy of the government and the administration.
The Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company has been doing excellent work in the Asian continent and in the country. The outstanding dues have tremendously increased due to the policy of the government and the administration. We would respectfully like to state that workers, officers and engineers are not responsible for this. The electricity bill waiver declared during the lockdown, consumer bill readings not able to be taken due to the Corona pandemic and bills not being distributed, as well as the tendency developed in consumes who used to pay their electricity bills to put forward the reason that economic condition has worsened are some of the reasons.
During the time of the lockdown, the state government took many decisions regarding electricity bills waivers, and collection due to which the attitude of the bill-paying consumers was affected. Due to this, the arrears kept increasing. While ensuring adequate power supply during the Corona pandemic, many workers and engineers had to pay with their lives. They ceaselessly did the work of electricity generation, transmission and distribution while facing death. It is only because of this that electricity supply in Maharashtra remained smooth.
The workers, engineers and officers have been working tirelessly during the previous two years to collect arrears. You are aware of the fact that while collecting arrears workers and engineers are attacked by electricity consumers, goondas and political leaders. During the last two years, due to the tireless efforts of the members of the workers organisations of the Mahavitran Company record revenue has been collected.
As the government has declared the policy that electricity connections of farmers should not be disconnected and as farmers electricity bills have been waived off, Rs. 49 lakh crore of arrears of 44 lakh agricultural consumers has become a matter of grave concern. The condition of arrears is not there only in Maharashtra but the 44 distribution companies in the country are roughly in the same state.
Due to the current pressure to collect arrears tremendous dissatisfaction has been created among the workers and the engineers. Due to the forcible collection of current bill there is tremendous anger among electricity consumers against the management of the distribution company. Is the record revenue being collected in order to hand over to private capitalists? This is being discussed amongst workers, engineers and the public at large.
Under the clause 14 and the 6th provision of Clause 15 of the Electricity Act 2003, the Adani Electricity Navi Mumbai Limited has applied for a license for parallel distribution in Mulund, Bhandup and some areas of Thane district in the Bhandup circle and in the areas included in Navi Mumbai, Panvel, Kharghar, Taloja and Uran. With reference to the license applied for by Adani electrical, the Electricity Regulatory Commission has issued a public notice and asked for notices and objections from people in various sectors. In this regard, the parallel license applied for by Adani electric to the electricity regulatory commission in the industrial commercial and profitable area of Maharashtra has been publicised in leading newspapers of the country and in various media. Electricity Regulatory Commission has issued notice in newspapers for notices and objections.
The Maharashtra State Electricity Board was divided in 2005 on the basis of the electricity act 2003. The aim for which it was divided has not been achieved till date. Under the same act, franchise model was created in Maharashtra for Nagpur, Aurangabad and Jalgaon; that model has failed in Maharashtra and in the country. Currently, in Maharashtra, Mumbra, Malegaon and Bhiwandi franchises exist though people in Maharashtra had not asked for that. Consumers there are extremely dissatisfied with the private franchise.
The hidden privatisation of the electricity companies has started by various means like establishing an independent electricity company for agricultural consumers in Maharashtra before the central government’s bill-2022 was passed, opening the door for private capitalists in Mahapareshan (Transmission company), privatisation under the name of reconstruction of hydroelectric centres under the area of Mahanirmiti (Generation company), keeping thousands of vacancies in the three electricity companies unfilled and getting work done through contract/outsourced workers, entrusting day-to-day of the work of the electricity companies to private capitalists via empanelment, running new sub-centres completely using contract system, etc.
In these circumstances, Adani electrical applying for parallel licensing to the electricity regulatory commission for the profitable area under Bhandup circle amounts to the beginning of privatisation of the distribution company. This is the opinion of the participating organisations in the Sangharsh Samiti.
The policy of the state government was strongly opposed in the meeting of the Sangharsh Samiti. We will not tolerate any effort to privatise any part of the electricity sector in Maharashtra. This was the stand taken and a systematic struggle as given below was declared. If industrial peace is violated or if the operation of generation, transmission and distribution is adversely affected, then the full responsibility will be with the state government and the management of the four companies.
Thanking you,

Schedule of the Struggle:

Gate meeting across Maharashtra on 12th December 2022
On 14 December 2022
1. Submission of representation to Hon’ble Minister, MPs, MLAs, Municipal Corporations, Municipal Councils, Panchayat Samitis, Zila Parishads, Gram Panchayat members
2. Submission of representation to social, consumer, farmer and labor unions
3. Conducting gate meetings across Maharashtra
Gate meeting across Maharashtra on 16th December 2022
Indefinite non-cooperation movement with the management of the three companies on 19 December 2022
1. Stop the recovery of dues
2. Depositing of the SIM card of the company with the administration
3. Depositing of mobile phones of sub-centres, not answering calls at branch offices
Huge Morcha to Nagpur Assembly on 23 December 2022
Gate meeting across Maharashtra on 29th December 2022
Large Morcha on 2 January 2023 at Thane District Magistrate Office
72 hours strike on 4th January 2023
Gate meeting across Maharashtra on 16th January 2023
Indefinite strike on 18 January 2023 from 00.00 hrs.

Yours sincerely,
Maharashtra Rajya Veej Karmchari, Adhikari, Abhiyanta Sangharsh Samiti
Signed

Com. Krishna Bhoyar, General Secretary, Maharahtra State Electricity Workers Federation
Shri. Arun Pival, General Secretary, Maharashtra Veej Kamgar Mahasangh
Shri. Sanjay Thakur, General Secretary, Subordinate Engineers Association
Shri. R.P. Devkant, General Secretary, Vidyut Shetra Tantrik Kamgar Union
Shri. Syed Zahiruddin, General Secretary, Maharahstra Rajya Vidyut Tantrik Kamgar Union
Shri. Rajan Bhanushali, President, Veej Karmachari, Abhiyanta Sena Union
Shri. Dattatreya Gatte. Chief General Secretary, Maharashtra Rajya Veej Kamgar Congress (INTUC)
Shri. Suyog Zute, General Secretary, Graduate Engineers association
Shri. Sanjay Khade, General Secretary, Maharashtra Rajya Vidyut Mandal Adhikari Sanghatana
Shri. P.B. Uke, President, Union Workers Federation
Shri. S.K. Lokhande, President, Maharashtra Rajya Swatantra Bahujan Veej Karmachari Sanghatana
Shri. Nachiket More, Secretary, General Power Front
Shri. M.S. Sharikmasalat, Working President, Maharashtra Rashtrawadi Veej Kamgar Congress.
Shri. Rakesh Jadhav, Working President, Maharashtra NIrman Nava nirman Kamgar Sena.
Shri. Navnath Pawar, General Secretary, Maharashtra Rajya Vidyut Operators Sanghatana.
Shri. Shivaji Vayphalkar, President, Bhaujan Vidyut Abhiyanta Adhikari and Karmachari Forum
Shri Uttam A. Parve, General Secretary, Maharashtra Veej Nirmiti Kamgar Sanghatana
Shri. Rajan Shinde, General Secretary, Bahujan Power Karmachari Sanghatana
Shri. Damodar Changole, Deputy General Secretary, Maharashtra Rajya Vidyut Kamgar Federation (INTUC).
Shri. Praveen Verma, General Secretary, MSEB Karyalayeen Adhikari Karmachari Sanghatana
Shri. R.D. Rathore, President, Rashtriya Veej Drivers and Cleaner
Shri Raju Ali Mullah, General Secretary, Electric Line Staff Association
Shri. Mukund Hanvate, General Secretary, Chaturth Shreni Vidyut Kamgar Sanghatana
Smt. Neha Mishra, President, Su. V. D. Vibhag Adhikari Sanghatana (A)
Shri. Prabhakar Lahane, General Secretary, Tantrik Kamgar Union
Shri. Nagorao Parate, General Secretary, Adim Karmachari Sanghatana
Shri. Anil Tarale, Regional General Secretary, Maharashtra Rajya Vidyut Shramik Sanghatana
Shri. R.H. Wardhe, Central General Secretary, Mahrashtra Rajya Vidyut Bhaujan Karmachari Adhikari Sangh
Shri. Lalit K. Shevale, General Secretary, Krantikari Linestaff Sena, 2244

Copies submitted for information and appropriate action

Hon. Chief Secretary, Maharashtra State, Mantralaya, Mumbai
Hon. Energy Secretary, Maharashtra State, Mantralaya, Mumbai
Hon. Labour Commissioner, Maharashtra State, Mantralaya, Mumbai
Hon. Police Commissioner, Maharashtra State, Cuffe Parade, Mumbai
Members of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, and Vidhan Sabha and Vidhan Parishad, Maharashtra State.
Chairmen and Administrative Manager, MSEB Holding Company, Generation, Transmission and Distribution Companies, Prakash Gad and Prakash Ganga, Bandra, Mumbai
Chief Industrial Relations Officer, MSEB Holding Company, Generation, Transmission and Distribution Companies, Prakash Gad and Prakash Ganga, Bandra (East) , Mumbai
All members of Zilla Parishad, Panchayat Samiti, Municipal Corporations, Municipalities and Nagar Panchayats and Gram Panchayats
All officers of the Participatory Organizations of the Sangharsh Samiti.