Report by KEC correspondent
The central government has issued a Letter of Intent to Torrent Power on 7 February to acquire 51 percent equity stake in Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu Power Distribution Company Ltd. The power distribution department in the union territory is being privatised despite being consistently profitable and transmission losses at 3.2% have been one of the lowest in the country.
The central government has been trying to privatise electricity distribution in all the union territories but its attempts have met with strong resistance from workers and consumers. Strike of electricity workers, supported by people in Jammu & Kashmir and Puducherry succeeded in forcing the state government to halt privatisation. Electricity workers and people of Chandigarh are continuously opposing and have planned a series of public actions in the coming weeks and three-day strike from 22 February.
Electricity employees and engineers of the country know that what is happening today in union territories shall happen tomorrow in other states and have therefore been staunchly opposing any attempt of privatisation of electricity distribution.
Workers and people of the union territory of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu should draw inspiration from the successful struggles of Jammu & Kashmir and of Puducherry and stop the administration from proceeding with privatisation.