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VOICE OF
ELECTRICITY WORKERS
2ND WORLD FORUM ON THE RIGHT TO ENERGY
MS.
SREEKUMARYAMMA
The 2nd World forum of the Right to Energy, which was
held from 19 till 21 June 2004 in Marakech in Morocco – an African country -
from June 19 to 21. About 365 delegates from 160 countries representing various
trade unions, NGOs, United Nations Officials, from all over the world
participated in the event.
Com. M.K. Pandhe,
Swadesh Debroye, Prashant Nandy Chowdhuri, Murari Bose and myself participated
from CITU.
On 19th
the Hon’ble minister for Energy and Mines, Morocco, inaugurated the conference.
During his speech he stressed the need to adopt a social tariff so that the
disparity between urban and rural people for the access to energy can be
eliminated. During the presidential address by Com. Michael Clerc, stressed the
importance of right to access energy so that the basic human right can be
achieved.
The people of the
planet focus so many ethical and social issues. It is so sad to say that about 2
billion people in the planet have no access to energy and about 20 % of the
world population consume 80 percentage of energy in the planet, so must
disparity exist. Investments whether it is private or public should be utilised
to implement policies and projects to attain basic human rights to all the
people of the world. But now a days, the financing is not going to the hands of
those who actually need it. To achieve the right to access of energy to all,
concrete proposals are needed to be implemented throughout the world.
During the session
held on 19,20,21st discussions were focused on the importance of
energy in attaining a sustainable development of human society. In order to
achieve the basic human right like food, health, water sanitation energy is very
essential.
Hence energy should
be available at a cheaper rate so that every one in the globe can have access to
it. In the access of energy, no discrimination should be there between people of
north and south, poor and rich, urban and rural and men and women. We are living
in a world where water energy etc are utilised for mass destruction.
The points raised
from the floor, was really worth. The delegates from the Latin American
countries pointed out that how their economy has failed due to globalization
market driven policies are drastic in developing countries with the
liberalisation policies adopted by different countries, the energy market is
also opened to the multinational corporations for making profit. They are
implementing policies to reduce subsidies and cross subsidies, then the access
to energy to all is denied eventually. Market is having short term visions, but
long term vision is to be formulated so that right to access to energy for all
can be achieved. Also, liberalisation is harmful to the research and development
programme.
During his address,
Com Pandhe gave a clear picture on Enron issue and the privatisation SEBs in
Delhi and Orissa and how they failed. Here actually privatisation of profits and
nationalisation of losses are happening. International policies are to be
formulated to obtain cheaper power to all the people of the world. Members of
our delegation especially com. Deb Roye, participated in the discussion
effectively.
During the
presentation by Sri. Sihag, the Director TERI, has pointed out that the reforms
adopted in India is ‘creating problems for the people. The reforms should be so
executed that everybody can have the access to energy.
The following
points are worth noting:
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The technology of the developed countries should be
made available to the developing countries.
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Finance
should reach the people, where there is need for it.
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20% of
world’s population occupying 80% energy resources should be changed.
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Energy
sector should not be kept open
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The right
to access to energy is very fundamental as the right to food, health,
education, water etc. for the sustainable development of human beings .
Hence international policies are to be formulated so that every one in
the globe can have access to it. To implement these policies good
governance is very essential. Right to access to energy to all is the
objective of the millennium.
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