A meeting of National Coordination Committee of Electricity Employees & Engineers (NCCOEEE) was  held on 3rd April, 2007  at B.T.R. Bhawan, 13-A, Rouse Avenue, New Delhi at 05.30 P.M.
Agenda:
1.    Review of electricity act, 2003
2.    Discussions on Impacts of restructuring or IIPA report
3.    Organisation
4.    Action Programme
5.    Any other matter with the permission of the Chair.

Participants of the meeting were Coms. A.B. Bardhan, E. Balanandan, Chakardhar Pd. Singh, Shri. Akhtar Hussain, Ers. S.B. Singh, B.S. Meel, C.S. Gill, S.K. Choudhary, S.K. Choudhury, Satya Pal and Er. Roshan Lal.

Com. A.B. Bardhan presided over the meeting.  Er. B.S. Meel presented the background. Com. C.Pd. Singh, Akhtar Hussain, S.B. Singh and V.S. Choudhury highlighted apathy of MOP (GOI) and expressed the opinion for serious all india action by NCCOEEE.

Com. Balanandan explained the depth of crisis being faced by the power sector.  The tenth plan too has failed to attain the target and it could not reach even 50%.  Therefore today the peakload deficiency is 19,000 – 20,000 MW.  Many states are facing acute power crisis, for example, in Maharashtra’s case the deficiency is more than 5000 mw, the most industrialized state in the country.  The power trading at the peak hour goes up to Rs.7.50 per unit.  Thus the power crisis is on the increase and the power rate is going high. The govt’s withdrawl from power generation and their reliance on private sector failed to yield results. The new power policy adopted by the government after passing of the Electricity Act, 2003  could not attain the desired results but the reverse is happening.  India as a country is facing serious power crisis.  

Therefore a policy change in the power sector is a must, as a result of our agitation the govt. of India entrusted the Indian Institute of Public Administration to study the problem. The expert committee appointed by them submitted their report which is nothing other than the true copy of world bank assessment and prescription.

As promised the government did not invite the trade union for a discussion on the basis of this report, therefore in protest  we had a mass rally of electricity workers in front of the parliament on 14th of March’ 07.

Now we are assembled here to discuss the steps to be taken to persuade the govt. to discuss the problem with the trade unions as part of the review of the Electricity Act, 2003 agreed to in the national common minimum programme accepted by the govt. If we are serious we had to plan a big all India movement. Com. A.B. Bardhan said in his presidential remarks without serious movement the govt. will not agree to  discuss with the trade unions for reviewing the effect of the Electricity act, 2003.

Com. B.S. Meel formulated the points expressed by the participants and on the basis of that the following decisions were taken:

i)     The state level chapter of NCCOEEE should be strengthened by helding state level conventions. The independent unions at state level should be given due recognition and consultation while proposing state conventions so as to insure success of the convention. The state level conventions in all the states should be held in the period w.e.f  11th May’07 till end of the month.
ii)    A national convention will be held at New Delhi on 24th June,2007 in which atleast five delegates from each union/federation from each states shall  participate. After extensive consultations in the convention, the modus operandi of an effective all Indian action programme will be finalized to see that MOP (GOI) is forced to initiate meaningful discussion on review of Electricity Act, 2003 and impacts of restructuring with the trade union representatives/NCCOEEE and action there upon.
iii)    A four men sub-committee was formed with Com. Chakradhar Pd. Sigh, Akhtar Hussain, Satya Pal and B.S. Meel to organise the aforesaid programmes.
iv)    Ist instalment of Rs. 10,000/- from each national federation/constituent of NCCOEEE  should be sent either in cash or draft within next 7 days at NCCOEEE office  at B.T. R. Bhawan, New Delhi
While summing up com. Burdhan said, the decisions are O.K. but if you are taking decisions seriously for their full implementation then well and good otherwise I don’t think we can force the government to come around. Not only this but  in those areas where power crisis is haunting, our organisation should jointly organise propaganda among the people and tell them unless and until the new power policy is reversed, there is no scope to get out of the difficulties. You have to appeal to the people that they together with the workers move jointly to pressurize the government for a policy change.

        Meeting closed at 6.45 PM.


                                                                                        (B.S. Meel)