Kamgar Ekta Committee (KEC) correspondent’s Report
MPEB Engineers’ Association on June 28, 2023 boycotted one day’s work to oppose the Joint Venture in Madhya Pradesh Power Generating Company, TBCB in Madhya Pradesh Power Transmission Company and privatization of Madhya Pradesh power distribution companies through Electricity (Amendment) Bill and for their seven-point demand charter. Addressing the meeting organized on this occasion, representatives of various organizations declared war against privatization and asked the government to stop taking steps towards privatization.
The speakers said that due to the privatization of the power sector, along with the power workers, the public will also have to face problems and due to the arbitrariness of the private sector, the prices of electricity will increase, the brunt of which will have to be borne by the common man.
President of All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF) Shri Shailendra Dubey while addressing the protest meeting said that for the establishment of a new unit (costing Rs. 5000 crores) at Amarkantak Thermal Power House of Madhya Pradesh government’s undertaking Madhya Pradesh Power Generating Company Limited (MPGCL), it has been decided to set up a new company by MPGCL signing a Joint Venture Agreement with CECL (a private limited company) for just Rs 250 crores. This is an open violation of the recommendations of the committee constituted by the Madhya Pradesh government. Madhya Pradesh government will have to bear an additional burden of about Rs 131 crore annually from the joint venture and the people of the state will get 40-50 paise more expensive electricity per unit.
Senior State Vice President of Madhya Pradesh Diploma Engineers Association Eng. Ashok Jain said that the joint venture company will have a direct adverse impact on the power companies of the Madhya Pradesh government and the government will also suffer huge losses.
The speakers urged the government to take decisions in the interest of the consumers and workers of the state, keeping in mind the interests of generating companies of the Power Department, which have contributed significantly to the development of Madhya Pradesh, fulfill their legitimate demands in time and immediately stop the joint venture with the generation company.