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JULY-SEPTEMBER, 2002VOL. 3
NO.3 Electricity employees of West Bengal under the banner of WBSEB Workmen’s Union (affiliated to EEFI and CITU) took the lead role in West Bengal during all the course of movements launched by the National Co-Ordination Committee of Electricity Employees and Engineers against the anti-people Energy policy of Govt. of India, since its formation. Besides all the campaign programme, the action programme of one day Token Strike on 12th December,2000 and solidarity action of supporting and participating the National Industrial Strike on 16th April, 2002 became successful in West Bengal with utmost initiative and forefront position of WBSEB Workmen’s Union. As a part of campaign towards public awareness on the draconian Electricity Bill 2001, one special issue of the organ of the Union “SATHI HATIAR” was published in the month of March, 2002. Articles from personalities of importance in National and State level were inserted in the publication. A questionnaire was placed before the eminent personalities of different walks of life on the object and result of reform of Electricity Industry. Their viewpoint was published in the same issue of the union’s organ. Thousands of copies of the periodical was sold among the wide cross section of people. This issue was in addition to hundreds of conventions, seminars, symposium, street corners and mass meetings jointly and individual organisations of the Electricity Employees. This Union, being the largest organisation of Electricity Employees in the state convened session of its pivotal body, the Central Council on 28th April last, to take stock of the situation. One of the important agenda of the council meeting was to review the status of the movement against the Electricity Bill 2001. During the course of deliberation, it revealed that enactment of the Bill would undermine the socio-economic importance of Electricity and make it market-biased commodity. It will worst affect the poor and middle class consumers of Electricity including all the rural people. But crux of the situation is that ultimate victims are not aware of the sword of curse falling upon them. Situation warrants that Electricity employees, who understand the subject should shoulder the responsibility to keep the general public, posted on the ill-motive of the NDA govt. Public should be informed that at the event of enactment of the Bill, right to electricity for all would be curtailed. It is the social and historical responsibility of the Electricity-men to pass on the people the adverse effects of the new electricity policy. The responsibility to combat would not be the sole responsibility of electricity-men. Accordingly, the central council of the Union resolved to distribute a short and brief leaflet describing the anti-people economic and electricity policy of the Govt. of India among the consumers of electricity all over the state. Target would be to reach at least 50% of WBSEB consumers through this process. At the same time the members of the Union visiting the consumers’ premises would also approach the consumers and other members of the family / organisation to put signatures on a copy of Mass Memorandum before his excellency the President of India requesting him to defray the Union Govt. from adoption of anti-people electricity policy. The central council of the Union being aware of the situation that only 20-25% people of our country so far enjoy the benefit of electricity. The proposed bill, if adopted would cease the possibility of extension of the benefit to those sections of people. So, campaign should not be kept confined among the existing consumers of electricity. But resource of the Union is limited. Hence, it was resolved that consumers of Electricity will also be included in the process of campaign. Members of the Union, while approaching the consumers for distribution of handbill and collection of signature in the memorandum to the President of India will seek a donation of Rupee One through coupon for the struggle fund from each of the consumers. Union has sought the help of the state leaders and organizers of Indian People’s Theatre Association, Democratic Writers and Artistes organisations, who will develop songs, drama, and ballet, Illustrative Posters and other audio visual presentation to make the wider section of people aware of the ultimate effect of Electricity Bill 2001. It will not be out place to mention that GOI has compelled the central sector power utilities like NTPC, NHPC, PGCIL and NPC to contribute crores of Rupees to develop Road Shows by NPTI and other agencies. The object of this Road shows are nothing but focusing all the weaknesses of SEBs and PSUs in the Power sectors. One- sided facts and figures are furnished in these multimedia presentations. Contributions of SEBs towards rural electrification, National self-sufficiency in Food production and self-reliance in Industrial and Technological spheres through 30 times growth in per capita consumption of Electricity since independence has been totally ignored. All these propaganda suppressing the national pride and highlighting the shortcomings are being done at the behest of WTO-IMF as well imperialistic forces. The campaign programme has now reached to its peak. The union organisers have already reached one million consumers involving 4-5 million people of the state. The campaign is becoming intensive with the process of holding the conference of the Union from the month of July. Union is having around 1000 unit committees all over the state. Almost all of these units have finished the conference. Next 3 months commencing from the month of September, 2002 to November, 2002, conferences of Sub-Division & District / Division will take place culminating to State Conference by the Month of December, 2002. The main theme for the campaign before the State Conference of the Union and International conference of IEMO schedule to take place in India at Kochin between November 15 & 17 involving Whole of the Union taken as Right to Energy for All at Affordable cost. Members of the Union have become very much enthused with this programme of Mass campaign. WBSEB Workmen’s Union decided to organise massive campaign against all these evil attempts of GOI. The Union along with most of the electricity men clearly understand that some reorganisation is required in the Electricity Industry but the same can be done well within the present acts with minor modification. Govt. of West Bengal has adopted the same policy of reorganization. The campaign of danger of the energy policy of Govt. of India will take place centering the conference. People of the state as a whole will also be made involved in the protest movement. At state level Union has made contact with the mass organisations of workers, Peasants, women, Students, Youths, Teachers and Govt. employees. Not only through posters and meetings but songs, drama, ballet and other audiovisual form of campaign is also be organised. The donation @ Re 1/- collected from Electricity consumers will be spent in this wider form of campaign. Union has arranged composition of Ballad titled “Electricity Reform: Back ground Story” Audio Cassette of the Ballad has already been published. Choreographic presentation is in progress. After 10/12 live shows of this ballad in the form of Dance-Drama, the same will be picturised for video presentation through satellite and local cable channels. A few Ad-films are also under development for telecasting those through commercial electronic medias to unveil the conspiracy of NDA Government of India to snatch the right to Electricity from the people of India, at the behest of International capitalists and greedy Multinational Companies to grab the already vast and continuously growing Electricity Market of India. Snippets of these campaign materials will be continuously propagated through various forms of Mass Communication. Union has also conceived that the Audio-visual presentation prepared in Bengali language may be circulated in other states with sub-titles of local language. Copies of the campaign materials would be sent to EEFI Centre for such conversion. |
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