Will go on strike if Electricity (Amendment) Bill is passed without consultation: AIPEF

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The All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF) on Friday warned that its members would go on strike if Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2021 is passed without taking them into confidence.

Union Power Minister R K Singh on Thursday said the Bill, which aims at enabling consumers to choose between multiple service providers just like in case of telecom services, is likely to be introduced and pushed for passage in the monsoon session of Parliament beginning July.

AIPEF said it strongly opposes the statement made by the minister. ”Any unilateral action to get the Bill passed in Parliament without taking the electricity employees and engineers across the country into confidence will be strongly opposed and all 27 lakh electricity employees and engineers of the country will be forced to resort to nationwide strike in protest against the move,” AIPEF said in a statement.

It said it has also appealed to all chief ministers of states and Union Territories to strongly oppose the Bill in the larger interest of the energy sector and electricity consumers. ”After farmers’ agitation last year, the government had given a written assurance to United Kisan Morcha that the Bill will not be placed in Parliament without discussion with all the stakeholders.

The government has not held any talks till date, neither with the consumer organizations of electricity nor with any organization of power employees,” AIPEF Chairman Shailendra Dubey lamented. ”After farmers’ agitation last year, the government had given a written assurance to United Kisan Morcha that the Bill will not be placed in Parliament without discussion with all the stakeholders.