All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF) has urged Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to put on hold the process of formation of JK Grid Company, a joint venture company (JVC) of JKTCL and PGCIL and direct the authorities to start a dialogue with representatives of All J&K Power Employees and Engineers Coordination Committee to avoid any unrest in the Power Sector. V K Gupta Spokesperson AIPEF said that the AIPEF has written to LG giving its detailed view point on the various aspects of the JVC and its implications. “All J&K Power Employees and Engineers Coordination Committee are vehemently opposing the move and have requested the Govt to put on hold the draft and initiate dialogue. In case the move is not withdrawn, they have given a call of work boycott from December 18.
We are already holding meetings in view of the impending work boycott,” he added. “AIPEF is of the strong opinion that experiment of unbundling and corporatization has already failed in other States. Himachal Pradesh is a hill state comparable with J & K.
Himachal Pradesh has integrated Utility HPSEB Ltd with Generation, Transmission & Distribution altogether. HPSEB Ltd is a successful model of the Power Sector. Kerala has also integrated Utility KSEB Ltd. Every state govt of the country faces a problem of unemployment and in case transmission function is retained in state government without any JV with PGCIL, the implication is that it will provide employment to the unemployed,” he said.