The state powerdistribution companies have suffered a major setback in the last 15 years with their losses rising by a whopping 900% to Rs 36000 crore ever since the electricity board was dismantled into three discoms, alleged joint group of engineer and worker unions in energy sector. Blaming the wrong policies for the massive loss, the union has decided to go on a strike on January 8 and 9.

Convener of Madhya Pradesh united forum for power employees and engineers VKS Parihar said that in the meeting of the forum held at Jabalpur concerns were raised against the decisions initiated in the name of power reforms in the past 25 years. “The losses of the three discoms had now crossed Rs 36,000 crore from Rs 3000 crore in 2003 when the Madhya Pradesh State Electricity Board was dismantled into three discoms,” Parihar said.

“It was concluded in the meeting that the draft electricity amendment bill 2018 issued by central government in September is aimed at providing benefit to private sector. If the amendments are complied with, then under the new system the universal supply obligation, i.e., the obligation to provide electricity to everyone will only rest on the public sector companies under which private companies will distribute power using the infrastructure of the public companies and they will be free to decide whom to give power and whom to deny”, he said.

In the original tariff policy’s article 61 it is written, ‘safeguarding the consumers’ interest and at the same time recovery of cost of revenue in reasonable manner’ but in the proposed amendment the same article would be ‘safeguarding the consumer interest and at the same time recovering the cost of revenue without any revenue deficit’, claimed Parihar.

“After this amendment, the farmers and poor of Madhya Pradesh will not be able to get power below Rs 10 per unit. It is for these reasons that Madhya Pradesh united forum for power employees and engineers has urged all workers to participate in the strike on January 8 and 9”, he said.