All India Power Engineers Federation on Sunday urged the government to withdraw the Union Cabinet decision to privatise power distribution in Chandigarh as the matter is still sub-judice.

"The All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF) on Sunday urged the government to withdraw Cabinet decision on privatisation of electricity distribution in UT (Union Territory) Chandigarh as the matter is still sub judice," an AIPEF statement said.

The federation has asked the government to scrap the move to privatise electricity distribution in Chandigarh, it added.

AIPEF spokesperson VK Gupta said the legal challenge filed by the UT (Union Territory) employees is still sub judice, as the matter was first referred to the Supreme Court, which then directed it to the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
 

THE NEXT DATE OF HEARING IS JANUARY 20 AND THE HIGH COURT IS YET TO DECIDE THE CASE ON ITS MERIT, IT STATE

IT SEEMS THAT THE UT ADMINISTRATION HAS NOT BROUGHT THE FULL FACTS OF THE CAST BEFORE THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT, IT SAID.

It may be mentioned that the Union Cabinet approved the bid of the highest bidder on January 6 to privatise the electricity department of the Chandigarh administration, the statement added.

The decision to privatise electricity in UT Chandigarh has been opposed not only by the employees but also by the consumers whereby all the Resident Welfare Associations have strongly challenged the privatisation move, it stated.

The government must scrap the privatisation move as all stakeholders are strongly opposing it, the federation said.

Meanwhile, UT Powermen Union has called a protest rally in Sector 17 on January 11.

Gopal Dutt Joshi, general secretary of the body, said, “We are still awaiting High Court decision on the petition filed on the issue, but the administration has finalised the privatisation. We will announce a strike call against UT's decision during the rally".

Section 133 of the Electricity Act 2003 makes it compulsory that under the favourable transfer scheme, the service conditions of employees and staff must not be less favourable, as per the statement.

Electricity consumers have serious apprehension that after privatising the department the electricity tariff will be hiked to give more profits to a private party at the cost of consumers, it noted.

The policy of the government to give profitable avenues to the corporate to make a profit at the cost of the public is condemnable, the federation said.

Under Electricity Act 2003, the government has to take the advice of the State Electricity Regulatory Commission where major changes in policy are involved, and which has not been done in the case of UT Chandigarh, it pointed out.