Report by Kamgar Ekta Committee (KEC) correspondent based on inputs received from Maharashtra State Electricity Employees, Engineers, Officers Power Sector Bachao Sangharsh Committee
An important meeting of the Maharashtra State Electricity Employees, Engineers, Officials Power Sector Bachao Sangharsh Committee was held at Panvel on 5 Nov 2022. Leaders of 26 organizations on the power industry unions/associations were present in this meeting.
There was a long discussion about the privatization of power companies in especially in Maharashtra.
Recently, Adani Power has applied for parallel licenses for distribution of electricity from Thane to Navi Mumbai, Uran (Bhandup zone) and submitted an application to the Maharashtra State Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC). This was mainly discussed in relation to the objections to be made in the future. Also discussed were the adverse effects of private laying of high voltage lines by Adani Power to supply electricity in large scale to Mumbai and nearby areas of Mahapareshan Company and the proposal to form an independent agricultural company to supply power for farmers.
The meeting took the following decisions:
- A white paper and information sheet on behalf of the Sangharsh Committee will be released to inform the public and electricity consumers about the real situation of the power sector in Maharashtra and the effect on electricity consumers of the privatization which is going on in various ways in a secret manner in the three electricity companies. It was decided to submit it to Hon’ble Chief Minister through MLAs and other people’s representatives, district magistrates and tehsildars.
- Departmental meetings in the regional divisions of Marathwada, Vidarbha, West, Maharashtra, Khandesh and Mumbai (Konkan) will be held in order to inform the people of Maharashtra and various consumers about the effects of privatization.
- Various kinds of agitations will be carried out in the future on the sole issue of privatization in the three companies to wake up the government and the administration. Also, it was decided to take a walk from various parts of Maharashtra involving electricity consumers, farmers’ associations, social organizations, electricity consumers’ associations as well as traders and domestic and industrial consumers in the agitation.
- Electricity workers organizations that are not yet involved in the struggle against privatization will be called upon to join and fight together.
- A book will be published about the ongoing process of privatization in power companies and a committee was constituted for the writing the book.
- The next meeting of all organizations will be held soon at Pune soon to decide the future course of actions.