New Delhi: Power sector employees are going to hold demonstrations across all state capitals on November 29 to protest against the Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2021. In an official statement released on Friday, the All India Power Engineers' Federation (AIPEF) said, "On the call of the National Coordination Committee of Electricity Employees & Engineers (NCCOEEE), power employees and engineers will hold protest demonstrations on November 29 at all state capitals against Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2021."
AIPEF Chairman Shailendra Dubey said that the decision was taken at a virtual meeting of the NCCOEEE held on November 11. The NCCOEEE has decided to demonstrate on the first day of the Winter Session of Parliament to register its protest against any unilateral move of the Central government to pass the Electricity Amendment Bill, 2021 in the Winter Session of Parliament, said Dubey. "Protest demonstrations will be held at all capitals of states and Union Territories," he added.
The AIPEF Chairman said that power employees and engineers across the country are agitating against the unilateral approach of the Central government to rush the Bill through the Parliament. He said many provisions of Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2021 are anti-people and against the interest of employees in the power sector. "If enacted, it will have far reaching adverse consequences," said Dubey.
The AIPEF Chairman has demanded that the Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2021 should not be passed in Parliament in haste and it should be referred to the Standing Parliamentary Committee on Energy. Dubey has said that the main stakeholders of the power sector — electricity consumers and electricity employees — should be given a proper opportunity to express their viewpoint on the Bill before placing it in Parliament.
He added that detailed agitational programmes for the Winter Session of Parliament will be finalised on November 30 in the NCCOEEE meeting to be held in Delhi.
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