PATIALA: The National Coordination Committee of Electricity Employees and Engineers (NCCOEEE) has decided to hold a day-long massive demonstration whenever the Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2021, is placed in Parliament, said V K Gupta, spokesperson of the All India Power Engineers Federation.
NCCOEEE is concerned that the agenda of the NDA government shows that Electricity Bill 2021 will be tabled in the winter session of the parliament with the object of curbing the right of access to electricity for poor and rural people of India.
It may be mentioned that strike call of August 10 was withdrawn as the impugned bill was not placed in the monsoon session of the Parliament. In these circumstances, it has been decided to organise the massive nationwide protest demonstration on the day the bill is tabled in the Parliament.
NCCOEEE physical meeting has been scheduled on 03rd December at New Delhi and will decide the future course of action. In case the central government tries to rush through the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2021 then lightning action can be taken. V K Gupta spokesperson AIPEF said that the real objective of the Electricity (amendment) Bill 2021 is to privatize electricity distribution under the false pretext of giving consumers the choice to choose their distributor with a view to getting cheaper and better service.
He further said that the main stakeholders of the power sector namely electricity consumers and electricity employees should be given the proper opportunity to express their viewpoint on the bill before placing it in Parliament.