Gurgaon: Haryana’s electricity employees and engineers have stuck to their decision to go on a three-day statewide strike from Oct 22 to 24 to protest against the entry of a private power distributor in the city and Nuh. Meanwhile, Haryana govt said on Wednesday it would challenge Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission’s (HERC’s) decision to grant a parallel electricity distribution licence to Eleven Power for 25 years before Appellate Tribunal for Electricity (APTEL) within the next five to six days and seek a stay on its implementation. The state govt moved to restrict leave for electricity officials and employees to maintain essential services.Energy, transport and labour minister Anil Vij said govt would pursue the legal battle up to Supreme Court, if necessary, asserting that it stood firmly with electricity employees. Although the rules allow 45 days to appeal against the HERC order, Vij said he had directed the department to complete the process within five to six days. Govt will also seek “an interim stay” to prevent the decision from being implemented while the appeal is pending. “We believe the order is incorrect,” Vij said, adding that chief minister Nayab Singh Saini had been briefed on the govt’s proposed legal action.The minister maintained that the state govt had opposed the licence before HERC but had no role in inviting applications for distribution licences. He pointed out that HERC was an autonomous regulatory body established under central electricity legislation, which allows eligible applicants to approach the commission for a licence. “The govt neither invited applications nor sought proposals for privatisation. The licence was granted following an application, but we strongly opposed the decision,” Vij said.On Wednesday, Haryana Electricity Employees and Engineers Joint Struggle Front (HEEEJSF) refused to attend a meeting convened by Vij in Chandigarh, citing short notice, the illness of some senior office-bearers and prior commitments of other leaders. The confrontation raises concerns over the handling of power faults, restoration of supply and other routine services during the proposed strike. The joint front has alleged that allowing a private company to operate in high-revenue industrial and commercial areas would weaken Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN). It has also raised concerns about the future of employees, farmers and consumers. Its opposition extends beyond the licence to wider concerns over govt’s approach to the power sector and the implications of private participation for public utilities.Terming this as a backdoor entry for a private player and as setting in motion the privatisation of power distribution, HEEEJSF office-bearer Subhash Lamba said, “Despite our elaborate objection filed before the commission, private company was granted licence. With this profit-making region such as Gurgaon is being handed over to private player. In the name of parallel licence, the door have been open for privatization.”The HERC order has opened the door for Eleven Power to establish a parallel electricity distribution network in the city and Nuh, with a proposed investment of Rs 4,717 crore. The entry of a second distributor is expected to introduce competition in an electricity distribution market so far dominated by DHBVN in these areas. The rollout, however, will depend on the regulatory and legal process, including any interim relief granted by APTEL.Vij also sought to persuade employee unions to reconsider their proposed strike, arguing that govt’s decision to challenge the order should be taken into account before resorting to industrial action. “If the govt were refusing to challenge the decision, the employees would have grounds to consider a strike,” the minister said, adding he had held discussions with some union representatives and invited them to submit alternative proposals for consideration. The unions could engage their own lawyers or work with govt’s legal team to prepare the case, he added. “Every problem can be resolved through dialogue. My doors are always open for discussions,” Vij said.The decision to grant the licence has triggered protests from employees and engineers, who have described it as a move towards privatisation of the state’s electricity distribution system. The power corporations have cancelled or restricted leave for them amid preparations for the agitation. The administration faces the challenge of maintaining electricity supply and ensuring that faults are attended to during the proposed shutdown of work.The agitation is planned across Haryana, with employees and engineers mobilising at district headquarters, power circle offices and subdivision-level establishments. The extent of disruption will depend on the participation of employees and engineers and the arrangements made by the power corporations to manage complaints, attend faults and restore electricity supply.Vij had called the joint front’s leaders for a meeting at 3 pm on Wednesday at the Haryana Civil Secretariat in Chandigarh to discuss the dispute. However, the organisation informed the authorities that its representatives would be unable to attend. The front conveyed its decision through a letter to the chief engineer (administration) of Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam Ltd. With the strike deadline approaching, the proposed meeting failed to secure the employees’ participation.
