LUCKNOW: The Vidyut Karamchari Samyukta Sangharsh Samiti has decided to hold a Mahapanchayat of electricity consumers, farmers and electricity workers in Lucknow against the privatization of electricity at Lucknow on June 22.
The Sangharsh Samiti has decided to take the movement forward by joining farmers and common consumers in the struggles going on for the last six months against the privatization of Purvanchal and Dakshinchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam. The objective of the Mahapanchayat is to organize a movement by uniting all the sections affected by privatization.
A white paper will be issued in the Mahapanchayat on the truth of the data being given by the Power Corporation management for privatization. After June 22, similar Mahapanchayats will be held in Varanasi, Agra, Meerut and other major cities in the state, informed V K Gupta.
Shailendra Dubey convener of Samiti said they will be asking 5 questions from UPPCL management on weekend days
The first question is that the Energy Minister said in the conference of Power Ministers held in Chandigarh on 06 June that the power distribution system of Uttar Pradesh is the best in the country. The question is that when the power system of Uttar Pradesh has become the best in the country in the government sector, then why are two Discoms being privatized?
The second question is that if privatization is being done in the name of losses, then why was the power departments of of Dadra Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu and Chandigarh privatized where AT&C losses were three percent and 8% respectively, and the power department was in profit at both these places?
The third question is that after 22 years of privatization in Delhi, private companies charge a pension surcharge of 07% in the electricity bills of consumers to pay pension to the employees of Delhi Vidyut Board, so the question is, how much surcharge will private companies charge from consumers in lieu of paying pension in Uttar Pradesh after privatization?
The fourth question is that after privatization, will private companies get the right to charge arbitrary bills from consumers for providing electricity connections? Is this what is going to happen to the poor people of Purvanchal and Dakshinanchal in Uttar Pradesh after privatization?
The fifth question is whether the Uttar Pradesh government will provide subsidies to poor farmers, weavers and consumers living below the poverty line after the privatization .In Greater Noida, even after 34 years of privatization, farmers do not get subsidies while farmers are being given free electricity in the entire state.
