Around 40,000 electricity department employees on Thursday began a three-day strike against the entry of a private power distribution company in Gurugram and Nuh, leading to disrupted supplies in several residential and industrial areas due to unattended breakdown complaints.
The Haryana Bijli Karamchari and Engineers Joint Sangharsh Morcha called for a three-day strike after the state's power sector regulator, HERC, on October 19 granted a licence to a private company to supply electricity in Gurugram and Nuh districts along with the existing state-owned discoms.
Around 40,000 electricity department employees have joined the strike, which saw a widespread impact across the state, disrupting electricity supply, water services, industrial production and several essential activities, the forum of employees' union said in a statement.
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The HERC, in an order dated October 19, granted a parallel electricity distribution licence to Eleven Power Private Limited for 25 years in both revenue districts under Section 14 of the Electricity Act, 2003.
The Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission (HERC), a three-member statutory body, is responsible for regulation of the power sector in the state. The state government, on the recommendation of a selection committee, appoints the chairperson and members of the commission.
On Wednesday, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said the state government will represent the employees' case before the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity (APTEL) against HERC's decision.
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Saini said the government is ready to engage lawyers trusted by the power workers' unions to pursue the case.
Saini also held a review meeting with administrative secretaries to assess arrangements for the three-day strike.
Meanwhile, the Joint Front, representing the striking employees, said that with almost the entire workforce participating, numerous 33 kV and 11 kV feeders affected by breakdowns remained out of service.
Electricity supply was disrupted in several urban and rural residential areas. Industrial production was also affected due to the disruption of power supply to industrial feeders.
Electricity complaint centres, substations and offices at the sub-divisional, divisional and circle levels were largely deserted, the forum said.
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Most constituent organisations of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, along with Sarv Karamchari Sangh Haryana and workers' organisations, including CITU, AITUC, INTUC, extended support to the strike and organised demonstrations at various locations.
Subhash Lamba, vice president of the Electricity Employees Federation of India (EEFI), and Shailendra Dubey, Chairman of the All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF), also opposed the parallel distribution licence and expressed solidarity with the striking employees.
Senior leader of the Joint Front, Devender Singh Hooda emphasised that electricity employees and engineers were not striking for higher salaries or allowances. Their struggle, he said, was aimed at protecting electricity distribution from privatisation and safeguarding the interests of farmers and ordinary consumers.
Expressing regret over the hardships faced by consumers, he said the employees' struggle was intended to ensure access to affordable and reliable electricity for all.
He appealed to farmers, consumers and the public to support the movement and press the government to revoke the parallel distribution licence.
He warned that handing electricity distribution over to private companies could make power increasingly unaffordable for farmers and economically weaker sections in both rural and urban areas.
Lamba of EEFI alleged that the Haryana government was attempting to undermine the strike by bringing technical employees and supervisors from neighbouring states, including Punjab and Himachal Pradesh.
Questioning the government's position, Lamba asked: "If the chief minister and the energy minister oppose privatisation and stand with electricity employees, why is a parallel distribution licence being granted to a private company in the first place?"
He argued that if legal obstacles stood in the way of stopping the licensing arrangement, the government should explore appropriate legal and legislative measures to resolve them, noting that the BJP governs both Haryana and the Centre.
The EEFI leader said that the government must demonstrate its opposition to privatisation through concrete action rather than statements or assurances.
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On Thursday, Haryana Energy Minister Anil Vij said the strike is unnecessary as it is HERC's decision to grant a parallel electricity distribution licence to a private company.
Vij said that he himself is against privatisation because so much public money and infrastructure have been invested, and employees' jobs are at stake.
Therefore, the government opposed the move firmly, but the decision went against us. The government is now appealing against that decision in APTEL and is trying to obtain a stay against the regulatory commission's order as soon as possible, he said.
He told the employees to leave the path of strike and join duties. "If you want to give any advice to our lawyer while preparing the case, give it. If you want to appoint your own lawyer, do so. Or if you want to suggest another lawyer, tell us, and we will hire that lawyer."
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