Electricity Privatization: In Uttar Pradesh, the privatization of the electricity department and the employees demonstrated on the streets on Monday to protest against the oppressive proceedings. Demonstrations were held across the state on the call of the Electricity Employees Joint Conflict Committee. Electricity workers in the capital Lucknow expressed their anger by demonstrating 3 hours at the residence of Energy Minister Arvind Kumar Sharma for 3 hours. The demonstration outside the Energy Minister’s residence was led by Shailendra Dubey, convenor of the Sangharsh Samiti.
Protests have been going on for eight months
Hundreds of employees participated in the protests which lasted from 1 pm to 4 pm this afternoon. Convenor Shailendra Dubey said that privatization of the electricity department is being opposed for the last eight months. The Energy Minister is constantly counting the benefits of privatization, while consumers are getting upset and young unemployed. The outsourced personnel of the state are being done for a low salary of Rs 8,000. Even after that, he is being fired in large numbers.
Major demands of energy employees
-The process of privatization of Prabhavachal and Dakshinchal Electricity Distribution Corporations should be canceled.
Agreements of September 2022 and March 2023 should be followed.
-All disciplinary proceedings done during the strike should be canceled.
-The work of smart meters being installed on the houses of electricity workers should be stopped.
All the withdrawn contracts and other employees should be restored.
-All state vigilance should be investigated and withdrawn FIR.
-The salaries stopped in the name of facial attendance should be released.
Energy Minister refuses to talk
The minister has not implemented written agreements made with the officials of the Sangharsh Samiti and Junior Engineers Organization on 3 December 2022 and 19 March 2023. The actions taken during the March 2023 strike have also not been withdrawn yet, in reverse, new actions have started. During this time, the electricity workers wanted to meet the Energy Minister and talk to, but the time to meet was not given. This caused deep resentment among the employees. After that the protest intensified.
Performance of electricity workers in the state
He stopped harassment, take back privatization, Energy Minister resigned, started shouting slogans. A heavy police force was also stationed on the spot, but the protest was peaceful. Apart from Lucknow, electric workers performed strongly in all the districts including Varanasi, Agra, Meerut, Kanpur, Gorakhpur, Mathura, Aligarh, Jhansi, Banda, Bareilly, Devipatan, Ayodhya, Muzaffarnagar, Noida, Ghaziabad, Obra, Anpara. Electricity workers said that the struggle will be intensified if their demands are not noticed.
I was waiting to meet inside
Energy Minister AK Sharma came out of the house with folded hands between police security after about 3 hours and sat in his car. During this time, the protesters said that the electricity department does not belong to anyone’s father. The minister said that I was waiting for the employees, but no one came to meet. Representatives of the staff organization come, we are ready to interact with them. But he has been shouting unnecessary slogans for the last 3 hours. We are ready to meet them. The privatization that is protesting about this is being taken after the Chief Minister’s decision. The work we do will be in the interest of the people of the state.
