Press release of All India Federation of Electricity Employees (AIFEE) and Maharashtra State Electricity Workers Federation (MSEWF)
Press Release
Mumbai, 22 October 2024
Support for the 72-hour strike launched by 55,000 electricity employees, engineers and contract workers in Haryana to cancel the license given to private capitalists for parallel power distribution
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All India Federation of Electricity Employees (AIFEE) and Maharashtra State Electricity Workers Federation congratulate the 55,000 electricity employees, engineers and contract workers in Haryana for going on a three-day state-wide 72-hour strike from the night of 21st October to 24th October under the banner of Haryana Electricity Employees and Engineers Joint Action Committee. The Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission (HERC) has decided to grant a 25-year parallel power distribution licence to the private capitalist power distribution company, XI Power Private Limited, Gurgaon, by its order dated 19th October 2026. This is the first parallel power distribution license in Haryana and the country. This strike is being held to demand immediate cancellation of the license granted. Lakhs of electricity employees in the country and the state are expressing their support for this strike.
The government should immediately cancel the licence for parallel electricity distribution. Otherwise, all the organizations working in Maharashtra and in 28 states under the leadership of the All India Federation of Electricity Employees will participate in this agitation, Comrade Mohan Sharma General Secretary and Comrade Krishna Bhoyar Deputy General Secretary have warned in a statement.
The electricity distribution licence is applicable to more than 8.3 lakh electricity consumers in the state of Haryana. The company seeking the electricity distribution licence was established in June 2025. The paid-up capital of this company is only Rs 1 crore. Overcoming objections from the state’s own power companies, farmers and employees, the HERC has approved the licence, but the migration plan and the costs have to be settled later.
Private companies will target customers with high paying capacity, which will divert a large portion of the revenue of public power companies and weaken their ability to serve farmers and poor consumers. If the profits are privatized, the burden of universal power supply will fall on the public power companies. This is a well-planned attack on public power distribution and a dangerous step towards privatization. This is a serious allegation made by the leadership of the All India Federation of Electricity Employees. The organization is publicly condemning this policy.
The strike has created havoc on the first day itself and about 55,000 employees, engineers and contract workers have gone on strike. More than 90 percent of the total employees have participated in the South and North Haryana Distribution Companies. In the operation wing of the South Haryana Vidyut Vitaran Nigam, 95.76 percent participation is in Delhi Circle and 90.25 percent in Hissar Circle, while 100 percent participation has been recorded in Gurugram-2, Narnaul, Rewari and Hisar. The entire city sub-divisional employees of Panchkula are on strike. Offices are closed across the state and there are reports of power supply disruptions, while on the other hand, employees are protecting hospital materials. The deployment of 6,230 police personnel reveals the government’s attempt to suppress the legal struggle of the workers by using force instead of meeting their demands.
The Haryana government’s claim that it opposes the licence and will appeal to APTEL is not sufficient. Filing an appeal cannot be an excuse for inaction. The regulatory autonomy of HERC cannot be an excuse for government inaction. Section 108 of the Electricity Act, 2003 empowers the state government to issue policy directions to the Commission on matters of public interest. The All India Federation of Electricity Employees is demanding a written policy direction against the parallel licencing system under Section 108, all legally permissible measures to cancel the licence, withhold the right-of-way permits and clearances wherever legally appropriate, and unconditional talks with the Joint Struggle Front.
In the year 2023, private capitalists like Tata, Adani, Toronto etc. had sought a licence for parallel electricity distribution in the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company as part of their profit share, but the electricity employees and engineers of Maharashtra had called a strong protest against it and forced the government to cancel that decision.
Long live revolution, long live labour unity!
Capitalism is dead, we will fight and win!
Our colleagues
Comrade Mohan Sharma General Secretary
Comrade Krishna Bhoyar Deputy General Secretary
All India Federation of Electricity Employees