Haryana Power Strike Called Off; Govt Says No Privatisation
Image: PTI (representational)
About 40,000 electricity employees and engineers in Haryana called off a three-day strike late on Friday, 23 October, after a meeting with Energy Minister Anil Vij and Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini in Chandigarh, ThePrint reported. The government assured the unions it would keep private players away from the state’s power distribution. The strike, which began on Thursday, had been aimed at a 25-year parallel distribution licence the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission (HERC) gave to Eleven Power Private Limited for Gurugram and Nuh.
Power Cuts Hit Gurugram, Faridabad and Kurukshetra
The strike left homes and factories without electricity in several districts. ThePrint reported that Gurugram received more than 3,000 complaints within 12 hours, water pumps stopped in some localities, and industrial units in Gurugram and Sonipat that depend on the grid nearly shut down. Several deputy commissioners put staff from other departments on fault repairs. With the strike over, normal supply should return as repair crews go back to work.
A Licence Opposed by the State Itself
HERC’s order, issued in the week of 19 October, lets Eleven Power supply electricity in parallel with the state utility in the Gurugram and Nuh districts, so consumers can choose between the two. The company has proposed capital spending of Rs 4,716.73 crore over five years. The state government, the power distribution companies and the unions oppose the licence. Critics call it a back-door route to privatisation and say a private supplier could pick the profitable urban consumers.
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The state government has said it will challenge the order before the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity (APTEL). Vij has also said the government is ready to discuss action under Section 108 of the Electricity Act, 2003, which lets a state government issue policy directions to its regulator.
Unions Meet the Government Again on 3 November
The two sides will meet again on 3 November to take up the remaining demands. The unions want the parallel licence cancelled, privatisation halted and the charter of demands agreed in August carried out. The APTEL appeal has not yet been decided.
Source: Based on reporting by ThePrint and ThePrint, and UNI. No official HERC order link was found online. Related: Daily Updates.
Image: PTI (representational).
