CHANDIGARH: A National Convention of Electricity Employees and Engineers will be held on June 8 at New Delhi against enactment of Electricity (Amendment) bill 2014 and exploitation of power sector workers.

The power sector engineers and employees are opposed to   the bifurcation of wire and content and privatisation of power sector through multiple licensees.

V K Gupta  a spokesperson of All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF) said that the  Electricity Act 2003 made  a concurrent subject more central government centric, thus curtailing the powers of the State Governments. Regulation is through an independent regulator bypassing the Government and the legislator on a subject, so vital to every citizen but experience has shown that the regulators, far from being independent are regulated by powerful interests.

Now in the name of reforms the government is to bifurcate wire and content. That means between the pillar post outside your house, to which power is brought by the distribution company, will be supplied into your house through a licensee. The argument is that there would be multiple licences and consumer would gain from competition. This is a simply a process to privatise the profits of licensee and nationalise the losses of distribution companies.

The National Convention being organised by the National Coordination Committee of Electricity Employees and Engineers (NCCOEEE) will decide the date for work boycott by employees and engineers across the country after discussion.