Opposition to Chandigarh Electricity privatization Intensifies

The employees and engineers of the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited (HPSEBL) have strongly voiced their opposition to the privatization of the Chandigarh Electricity Department. In a press release, the Joint Front of HPSEBL employees and engineers criticized the central government’s decision to sell the department, valued at over ₹20,000 crore in assets, to M/s Eminent Co. for a mere ₹871 crore.

The Joint Front alleged that the privatization deal is a blatant “loot of public assets,” citing serious irregularities in the tendering process. According to them, the reserve price for the department, which has consistently catered to its consumers at a low tariff of ₹4.50 and generated annual profits of ₹200–300 crore, was inexplicably set at just ₹174 crore.

The transfer of assets to the private company is scheduled for January 1, 2024. In response, the National Coordination Committee of Electricity Employees and Engineers (NCCOEEE) has announced nationwide protests on December 31, 2024, warning the Chandigarh administration against proceeding with the handover. The NCCOEEE is also actively opposing similar privatization initiatives in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, where bidding processes for power utilities have begun.

Convener Er. Lokesh Thakur and Co-convener Hira Lal Verma emphasized the adverse impacts of privatization, highlighting the likely rise in electricity tariffs and the potential deterioration of service conditions for electricity employees and engineers in affected states.

They said that in solidarity with NCCOEEE, HPSEBL employees and engineers will stage a one-hour protest during lunch hours on December 31, across Himachal Pradesh.

They warned that the “loot of power sector assets” would not only burden consumers financially but also weaken the infrastructure and stability of public utilities.