Report by Kamgar Ekta Committee (KEC) correspondent
On 11th December, 2024, Maharashtra State Electricity Workers Federation (MSEW) protested at circle headquarters all over Maharashtra against the recently announced privatisation of Power Distribution Companies in Uttar Pradesh and Chandigarh. As part of this protest a demonstration was held at Vashi, Navi Mumbai.
The demonstration was addressed by Dr. A. Mathew, Secretary of Kamgar Ekta Committee (KEC) and Convenor of All India Forum Against Privatisation (AIFAP), Com. Sanjay Munde, Joint Secretary, Vashi Circle, MSEWF, Com. Anjali Nigre, Central Working Committee member of MSEWF and other leaders of MSEWF. Com. Yogesh Bagul welcomed the speakers.
Dr. A. Mathew in his speech said we have to understand the chronology of events as regards privatisation of power sector in the country.
In 1948, after Independence, the Government passed the Electricity Act, which said that supply of electricity to every Indian household was the duty of the Central and State Governments, and it has to be operated under a no loss no profit basis.
However, since 1991, when the policy of privatisation, liberalisation and globalisation was introduced by the then Congress Government, the electricity sector has been opened up step by step to enable private monopolies to generate and distribute power. All the Governments at the centre have followed this same policy and the present BJP led Government is speeding up the process.
First, they allowed private monopolies to enter the power generation. Now more than 50% of all power generated in the country are by the private monopolies.
It was the then BJP led Government at the centre that introduced the Electricity Amendment Bill 2003 which allowed private monopolies to enter electricity distribution. They handed the power distribution in Orissa state to the Tatas. The decision had to be reversed. They simultaneously tried to hand over the power distribution in major cities to private companies or their franchisees. Most of the franchisees gave up as they did not find it to be profitable.
The present BJP led Government, during the time of a national calamity like COVID and a nation-wide lockdown, tried to pass the Electricity Amendment Bill 2020, to further privatise power distribution. Due to the opposition from workers and farmers, they could not pass this bill yet.
Now they are trying to force the introduction of Smart Meters all over the country so that privatisation of power distribution can become more attractive for private monopolies.
He said in Maharashtra big capitalists wanted a government which will fast track privatisation of electricity as well as other projects of interest to them. In recent elections, they have ensured that a BJP led Government is formed with nearly absolute majority for BJP.
We must understand that privatisation is the agenda of big capitalists and that is why it has been implemented by both the Congress and BJP led governments. They do not want people to unite against anti-people policies so they create divisions among people on the basis of religion, caste, mandir masjid, etc.
Dr. Mathew said that immediately after the Maharashtra election results were announced, the Uttar Pradesh Government announced privatisation of power distribution in the state on December 2nd, 2024 and on December 6th ,2024 they imposed ESMA to crush all struggles of electricity and other public sector workers. However, the united strength of electricity workers can bring any government to its knees. If electricity is shut off even for an hour, the entire economic life of the state will be disrupted. It is this strength that the rulers are afraid of.
After this Com. Sanjay Munde, Joint Secretary, Vashi Circle, MSEWF called on the electricity workers of Maharashtra to support the struggle of their brothers and sisters in Uttar Pradesh and Chandigarh. He said we should be prepared for agitation in Maharashtra. Big attacks are going to be there. Immediately after the new Government in Maharashtra was sworn in, the Chief Minister of the BJP led Government had an hour-long meeting with Adani. These big capitalists will want their returns for the huge amounts that they have financed for bringing this party to power.
He said we have in the past successfully opposed any attempt at privatisation of electricity distribution and we will not allow the same in future also. He said they could crush the struggle of the State Transport Workers in Maharashtra, but electricity workers, if they unite, can defeat the government. That is our power. He said electricity is a fundamental necessity of life now and it cannot be made a source for private profit.
Com. Anjali Nigre, Central Working Committee member of MSEWF and other leaders of MSEWF also spoke and the meeting ended with a call to follow the decisions of the leadership of MSEWF for any action in the future.