No. 35 - 2020 / Extension to submit comments on EA Bill 2020 15 - -5 – 2020
Sri R K Singh
Power Minister (I/C)
Shram Shakti Bhawan
New Delhi
Sub : To put on hold the draft amendments to Electricity Act 2003
Respected Sir,
In continuation to earlier representations , AIPEF is to add further as under.
1. The Chief Scientist World Health Organisation Dr Soumya Swaminathan made the following statement on 11 May 2020
The World Health Organisation’s Chief Scientist Dr. Soumya Swaminathan commended India for keeping corona virus cases and deaths very low compared to other countries. She said India will play an important role in the development of a vaccine for Covid-19. She said the whole world has to be prepared for a continuous transmission of the infection for “many, many months and for perhaps years to come”.
2. Ever since GOI issued the draft Amendments to Electricity Act 2003 on 17 April 2020, office bearers and representatives have been under continuous constraint of lock down and there has not been a single day without restrictions. AIPEF is unable to organise seminars and meetings with Farmer organisations and representatives to discuss and obtain feedback on GOI proposals on subsidy and direct benefit transfer. We see the farmers as being the hardest hit by draft amendment as the DBT proposal is totally impractical and unworkable which will result in massive payment defaults and disconnections, thereby disrupting food grain production and cause avoidable hardship .
2.1 AIPEF is further required to discuss other aspects such as role of RLDCs in enforcing payment security mechanism which would create chaos in RLDC functioning , but we are seriously constrained due to prevailing lock down.
2.2 AIPEF is further required to convene its Federal Council meeting so that engineer representatives across the country can give detailed feedback on the consequences of the proposed amendments. Due to extended lock down we are unable to proceed further.
3. AIPEF notes the response of several stake holders, and in particular the statement of Chief Minister Tamil Nadu
The Tamil Nadu government on Saturday urged Prime Minister to prevail upon the power ministry to put the proposed amendments to the Electricity Act in abeyance till all the aspects are thoroughly discussed with the state governments after the Covid-19 pandemic comes under control. In a letter to the PM, Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswamy said any hasty amendments to the Electricity Act might create hardship to state power utilities, which are going through a severe financial crisis because of the present pandemic. As some of the provisions of the draft amendment bill are also likely to create hardships for the general public, particularly during this crisis period, the CM pointed out this may not be an appropriate time to bring in such sweeping amendments to the Electricity Act.
4. The Statement of Objectives and Reasons does not anywhere consider or justify how or why these sweeping amendments are justified to be taken up in a situation of grave national crisis.
5. In view of above additional submissions AIPEF requests that the exercise to Amend Electricity Act 2003 may be put on hold till such time as normal conditions are restored.
With Regards.
Sincerely Yours
Shailendra Dubey
Chairman
No. 35 - 2020 / Extension to submit comments on EA Bill 2020 15 - -5 – 2020
Sri R K Singh
Power Minister (I/C)
Shram Shakti Bhawan
New Delhi
Sub : To put on hold the draft amendments to Electricity Act 2003
Respected Sir,
In continuation to earlier representations , AIPEF is to add further as under.
1. The Chief Scientist World Health Organisation Dr Soumya Swaminathan made the following statement on 11 May 2020
The World Health Organisation’s Chief Scientist Dr. Soumya Swaminathan commended India for keeping corona virus cases and deaths very low compared to other countries. She said India will play an important role in the development of a vaccine for Covid-19. She said the whole world has to be prepared for a continuous transmission of the infection for “many, many months and for perhaps years to come”.
2. Ever since GOI issued the draft Amendments to Electricity Act 2003 on 17 April 2020, office bearers and representatives have been under continuous constraint of lock down and there has not been a single day without restrictions. AIPEF is unable to organise seminars and meetings with Farmer organisations and representatives to discuss and obtain feedback on GOI proposals on subsidy and direct benefit transfer. We see the farmers as being the hardest hit by draft amendment as the DBT proposal is totally impractical and unworkable which will result in massive payment defaults and disconnections, thereby disrupting food grain production and cause avoidable hardship .
2.1 AIPEF is further required to discuss other aspects such as role of RLDCs in enforcing payment security mechanism which would create chaos in RLDC functioning , but we are seriously constrained due to prevailing lock down.
2.2 AIPEF is further required to convene its Federal Council meeting so that engineer representatives across the country can give detailed feedback on the consequences of the proposed amendments. Due to extended lock down we are unable to proceed further.
3. AIPEF notes the response of several stake holders, and in particular the statement of Chief Minister Tamil Nadu
The Tamil Nadu government on Saturday urged Prime Minister to prevail upon the power ministry to put the proposed amendments to the Electricity Act in abeyance till all the aspects are thoroughly discussed with the state governments after the Covid-19 pandemic comes under control. In a letter to the PM, Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswamy said any hasty amendments to the Electricity Act might create hardship to state power utilities, which are going through a severe financial crisis because of the present pandemic. As some of the provisions of the draft amendment bill are also likely to create hardships for the general public, particularly during this crisis period, the CM pointed out this may not be an appropriate time to bring in such sweeping amendments to the Electricity Act.
4. The Statement of Objectives and Reasons does not anywhere consider or justify how or why these sweeping amendments are justified to be taken up in a situation of grave national crisis.
5. In view of above additional submissions AIPEF requests that the exercise to Amend Electricity Act 2003 may be put on hold till such time as normal conditions are restored.
With Regards.
Sincerely Yours
Shailendra Dubey
Chairman
No. 35 - 2020 / Extension to submit comments on EA Bill 2020 15 - -5 – 2020
Sri R K Singh
Power Minister (I/C)
Shram Shakti Bhawan
New Delhi
Sub : To put on hold the draft amendments to Electricity Act 2003
Respected Sir,
In continuation to earlier representations , AIPEF is to add further as under.
1. The Chief Scientist World Health Organisation Dr Soumya Swaminathan made the following statement on 11 May 2020
The World Health Organisation’s Chief Scientist Dr. Soumya Swaminathan commended India for keeping corona virus cases and deaths very low compared to other countries. She said India will play an important role in the development of a vaccine for Covid-19. She said the whole world has to be prepared for a continuous transmission of the infection for “many, many months and for perhaps years to come”.
2. Ever since GOI issued the draft Amendments to Electricity Act 2003 on 17 April 2020, office bearers and representatives have been under continuous constraint of lock down and there has not been a single day without restrictions. AIPEF is unable to organise seminars and meetings with Farmer organisations and representatives to discuss and obtain feedback on GOI proposals on subsidy and direct benefit transfer. We see the farmers as being the hardest hit by draft amendment as the DBT proposal is totally impractical and unworkable which will result in massive payment defaults and disconnections, thereby disrupting food grain production and cause avoidable hardship .
2.1 AIPEF is further required to discuss other aspects such as role of RLDCs in enforcing payment security mechanism which would create chaos in RLDC functioning , but we are seriously constrained due to prevailing lock down.
2.2 AIPEF is further required to convene its Federal Council meeting so that engineer representatives across the country can give detailed feedback on the consequences of the proposed amendments. Due to extended lock down we are unable to proceed further.
3. AIPEF notes the response of several stake holders, and in particular the statement of Chief Minister Tamil Nadu
The Tamil Nadu government on Saturday urged Prime Minister to prevail upon the power ministry to put the proposed amendments to the Electricity Act in abeyance till all the aspects are thoroughly discussed with the state governments after the Covid-19 pandemic comes under control. In a letter to the PM, Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswamy said any hasty amendments to the Electricity Act might create hardship to state power utilities, which are going through a severe financial crisis because of the present pandemic. As some of the provisions of the draft amendment bill are also likely to create hardships for the general public, particularly during this crisis period, the CM pointed out this may not be an appropriate time to bring in such sweeping amendments to the Electricity Act.
4. The Statement of Objectives and Reasons does not anywhere consider or justify how or why these sweeping amendments are justified to be taken up in a situation of grave national crisis.
5. In view of above additional submissions AIPEF requests that the exercise to Amend Electricity Act 2003 may be put on hold till such time as normal conditions are restored.
With Regards.
Sincerely Yours
Shailendra Dubey
Chairman