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January 2006 - March 2006 Index
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Power Sector News- UP |
IVth State Conference of U.P. Bijuli Board
Employees Union at
Hardwaganj Power Station, KASIMPUR (ALIGARH) 9-10th March 2006
The Conference proceedings began with Com. Daulat Ram, President, U.P. Bijuli
Board Employees Union chairing the presidium. Com. Irfan Habeeb (Honoured with
Padmabushan Award) Chairman, Reception Committee welcoming the delegates,
narrating the history of labour movement since yr. 1930 in Aligarh and their
role in freedom movement, expressed hope that through deliberations in this
conference, a new initiative will be launched not in Aligarh alone, but in
entire U.P., so as to enable workers to defend their demands at the face of LPG
attack. Com. K.N. Bhat, President State CITU said that through this conference a
message shall go for getting policy change from government by UPBBEU inducing
generating mass public support to resolve the demand and to defend the interests
not only of contract workers but of all electricity employees.
In his inaugural address in the jam packed auditorium the leader of Left Front
in Lok Sabha Com Basudeb Acharia said that looking to the courage and enthusiasm
of electricity employees , he opted to inaugurate this conference by droppings
programmes in a tight schedule. Since independence the history of the
development of power industry rests entirely with public sector. The Electricity
Act, 2003 enacted to prefer private sector’s role which will have disastrous
impacts for farmers, workers and small scale industry as this Act is devoid of
any social objective. If cross-subsidy is eliminated, electricity will be dream
for poor people. He called upon electricity employees to carry continuous and
relentless struggle against this act and it should be thoroughly got reviewed.
The rural employment guarantee act has been enacted under pressure of left front
which is a step in the direction of right to work.
Com. B.S. Meel, General Secretary, Electricity Employees federation of India
said that to sell the idea of privatisation of electricity to people, with an
intention to get two or three initial successful cases of privatisation, Orissa
& Delhi were selected where rural consumption is 3% and 0.5% respectively.
However power reforms and privatization’s total failure leads to the conclusion
that privatisation is not solution for problems of power industry. The thrust of
Electricity Act, 2003 is to delink rural areas from the grid and urban areas
which will be disastrous for villagers. Under new Electricity policy industry in
urban area will get cheapest electricity where as villages will pay stiffest
cost, as tariff will be taken to the level reflecting cost to serve. He appealed
for creating a victorious movement by mobilising support of all mass
organisations to defeat the objective of handing over power industry to private
sector and run it on commercial basis to create power market and competition
where deprived sections will be marginalized from use of electricity.
Com. Sudhanshu Sheel, Member of Parliament from Kolkata said that no government
can make the development of country by curtailing the rights of the employees.
On contrary as West Bengal is a glaring example, a government can make
development scheme achieving the objectives by involving and keeping in view the
proposals of employees.
Com. Subhash Lamba, General Secretary, AHPC W/U also called upon electricity
employees to strengthen the struggle against Electricity Act, 2003 as there is
no alternative to struggle. Other speakers were Prof. K.N. Singh(Janwadi Lekhak
Sangh), Com. Suman Upadhyay, Er. S.C. Sharma, Ramesh Pande, Satish Badel and
Com. Mahakant Roy.
Com. Bhagvan Mishra, General Secretary on behalf of working committee made a
praise of workers of Harduaganj and Aligarh and thank them for organizing this
successful conference. In the conference Com. Dautlat Ram as President, O.P.
Sharma as Working President, Bhagwan Mishra as General Secretary, working
committee of 68 members consisting of 15 office bearers were elected.
In his concluding remarks at the end of two days conference Com. Daulat Ram
expressed the hope that the rank and file of the union will strive hard to
strengthen the organisation and creating a strong united movement to resist the
onslaught of new power policy where the latest drive of attack that “the
pre-condition of calling upon the state government to undertake to privatize
distribution in cities having population of more than one million was approved
by the union cabinet to qualify for cheap power purchase from ultra modern mega
power projects keeping in mind the concerns of the Financial Institutions and
project developers who desire a stable and financially viable distribution
system for payment security.”
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