HPEA – Online Resource for Himachal Power Engineers

Privatisation of distribution system in UT Dadra, Nagar Haveli, Daman Diu (DNHDD) 11 - 05 – 2021

The exercise to carry out competitive bidding for the privatization of UT Dadra, Nagar Haveli,Daman Diu (DNHDD) was carried out recently for sale of 51% of the equity to the highest bidder. Subsequent to the opening of financial bids, there was public interest litigation in the Bombay High Court which stayed further proceedings. 2. It is often argued that with privatization the losses would be red...

Draft National Electricity Policy – 2021- extension of date for submission of comments 11 - 05 – 2021

Ministry of Power had issued a public notice on its website on 27/04/2021 enclosing the draft National Electricity Policy 2021, and copy of the Govt. of India order by which an expert group has been constituted and calling for comments from stake holders within 21 days of the date of notice (27/04/2021) 2. Subsequently, a number of representations had been sent to the Power Ministry and to the PMO t...

Why the GoI is overhauling National Electricity Policy. 06 - 05 – 2021

In AIPEF letter 37 of 03 May 2021 the question has been raised as to why the proposal to overhaul the NEP has been raised when the entire nation is in grip of an unprecedented crisis of the pandemic. We had given quotations from articles by Swaminathan Aiyar (Never waste a crisis) and the Chief Economic Adviser K Subramanian (India is the only large Economy that has carried...

Draft National Electricity Policy 2021, 06 - 05 – 2021

Please refer to the public notice issued on the website of the Power Ministry on 27 April, 2021. It is seen that there is ambiguity in the MOP documents which evidently appear to conflict with specific provisions of Electricity Act 2003 and which , therefore, cannot be made as a basis for overhauling of the National Electricity Policy of Feb 2005 . The relev...

All India Power Engineers Federation on Tuesday condemned the central government''s move to amend the National Electricity Policy "to facilitate privatisation". According to a statement by the AIPEF, the proposed changes require extensive discussions as such time for submission of comments should be six months. When fundamental changes are being introduced by way of privatization of the power sector, there is no basis to rush through more so under extreme distress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, it said. "All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF) condemns the government of India''s move to amend the National Electricity Policy to facilitate the privatization of the power sector," the statement said. The body alleged that this is a clear attempt to introduce privatization through the backdoor and deserves to be scrapped. The purpose of the central government is not to review or revise the existing National Electricity Policy but the total replacement of existing policy with a new policy to be recommended by the expert group so as to achieve privatization, the body alleged. As per Electricity Act 2003, National Electricity Policy is to be prepared in consultation with the state governments and Central Electricity Authority (CEA), a statutory body. However, the body said that the CEA is not included in the proposed schedule of discussion. Further, only 5 states have been included in an expert group instead of all the states, it added. K Subramanian, Chief Economic Adviser, has stated that India is the only country that readily implemented a slew of reforms and used this crisis to herald a change in India''s economic thinking, it said. The strategy of government seems to be “never waste a crisis” and use the crisis of pandemic to streamroll so-called reforms by way of privatizing, it alleged. The draft proposal is of serious nature for which the present situation of a pandemic is a serious constraint, it stated. The Ministry of Power has once again found peak pandemic time as an opportunity in crisis to launch the draft amendments to National Electricity Policy, it lamented. Once the draft policy is finalised, the notified policy would have the status of “subordinate legislation”, and for this reason, the matters need to deliberate as in the case of the legislation itself or as in the case of amendment in the Act itself, it opined. Draft national electricity policy is pushing for more private participation in the power sector and launching sell out of public assets as at Chandigarh and Dadra Nagar Haveli, it noted. The preferred route being suggested are failed models like the franchisee system, transferring distribution responsibility to a private party, and separation of carriage (lines) and content (supply) business, it opined. Since the existing Policy is in force since February 2005 there was no emergency to totally replace it, while power engineers and workers as front line workers are already stressed in maintaining power continuity, it added All India Power Engineers Federation on Tuesday condemned the central government''s move to amend the National Electricity Policy "to facilitate privatisation". According to a statement by the AIPEF, the proposed changes require extensive discussions as such time for submission of comments should be six months. When fundamental changes are being introduced by way of privatization of the power sector, there is no basis to rush through more so under extreme distress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, it said. "All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF) condemns the government of India''s move to amend the National Electricity Policy to facilitate the privatization of the power sector," the statement said. The body alleged that this is a clear attempt to introduce privatization through the backdoor and deserves to be scrapped. The purpose of the central government is not to review or revise the existing National Electricity Policy but the total replacement of existing policy with a new policy to be recommended by the expert group so as to achieve privatization, the body alleged. As per Electricity Act 2003, National Electricity Policy is to be prepared in consultation with the state governments and Central Electricity Authority (CEA), a statutory body. However, the body said that the CEA is not included in the proposed schedule of discussion. Further, only 5 states have been included in an expert group instead of all the states, it added. K Subramanian, Chief Economic Adviser, has stated that India is the only country that readily implemented a slew of reforms and used this crisis to herald a change in India''s economic thinking, it said. The strategy of government seems to be “never waste a crisis” and use the crisis of pandemic to streamroll so-called reforms by way of privatizing, it alleged. The draft proposal is of serious nature for which the present situation of a pandemic is a serious constraint, it stated. The Ministry of Power has once again found peak pandemic time as an opportunity in crisis to launch the draft amendments to National Electricity Policy, it lamented. Once the draft policy is finalised, the notified policy would have the status of “subordinate legislation”, and for this reason, the matters need to deliberate as in the case of the legislation itself or as in the case of amendment in the Act itself, it opined. Draft national electricity policy is pushing for more private participation in the power sector and launching sell out of public assets as at Chandigarh and Dadra Nagar Haveli, it noted. The preferred route being suggested are failed models like the franchisee system, transferring distribution responsibility to a private party, and separation of carriage (lines) and content (supply) business, it opined. Since the existing Policy is in force since February 2005 there was no emergency to totally replace it, while power engineers and workers as front line workers are already stressed in maintaining power continuity, it added

All India Power Engineers Federation on Tuesday condemned the central government's move to amend the National Electricity Policy "to facilitate privatisation". According to a statement by the AIPEF, the proposed changes require extensive discussions as such time for submission of comments should be six months. When fundamental changes are being introduced by way of privatizat...

Power engineers body condemns move to amend National Electricity Policy 04 MAY 2021

All India Power Engineers Federation on Tuesday condemned the central government''s move to amend the National Electricity Policy "to facilitate privatisation". According to a statement by the AIPEF, the proposed changes require extensive discussions as such time for submission of comments should be six months. When fundamental changes are being introduced by way of privatization of the power sector...

Tampering with the Electricity Supply Industry at a time of acute distress 04 - 05 – 2021

Most respectfully we submit that the Electricity Supply Industry is an essential service and at this moment of acute crisis caused by COVID-19 Pandemic resulting in a large number of deaths any breakdown could result in a national calamity of unimaginable dimension. 2. We as power engineers and employees are proud that we are keeping the system functioning and are able to give uninterru...

NEP moots metering for agriculture services May 1, 2021

The National Electricity Policy (NEP)-2021 pitched for smart meters, metering for agriculture services and privatisation of power sector. The Ministry of Power released the draft NEP 2021, seeking suggestions from the stakeholders to present the final policy within two months. The draft policy states that all consumers shall be metered and shall be required to pay electricity charges for the power consumed in accorda...

Representation to Ministry of Power regarding comments on draft National Electricity Policy 2021 – for extending of last date for submission of comments to 31/10/2021

On 27/04/2021 the Ministry of Power issued a circular No 23/23/2019 -R&R of draft National Electricity Policy 2021 and giving a time limit of 21 days for submission of comments and objections. We are very much surprised and shocked to see the timing of the introduction of this NEP 2021 draft when the whole country is fighting unitedly to combat the deadly second surge of COVID - 19 Pandemic. Now with the int...

Power ministry urges states to organise vaccination camps for electricity sector employees, Apr 28, 2021

The Ministry of Power has urged states to organise mass COVID-19 vaccination camps for power sector employees on priority in coordination with electricity utilities and their health departments, industry body AIPEF said. The Union power secretary on Monday wrote a letter to all chief secretaries of states and administrators of union territories in this regard, the All India Po...