GURGAON: Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini has said the state government would challenge the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission’s (HERC) decision to grant a parallel electricity distribution licence to a private company for Gurgaon and Nuh, assuring power employees that the government stood firmly with them and would vigorously pursue the case before the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity (APTEL).Reviewing the situation with administrative secretaries and district officials through video conferencing, Saini appealed to electricity employees’ unions to call off their proposed three-day strike from October 22 to 24, saying the government’s doors for dialogue remained open.The chief minister also offered to have the case argued by lawyers of the employees’ choice, if the unions wished to nominate their own legal representatives.He said the government was prepared to fight the matter through the legal process and urged employees to resolve their concerns through discussions rather than industrial action.Saini directed all departments to work proactively to ensure that essential services remained unaffected during the strike.He asked officials to make arrangements to prevent inconvenience to the public during the festive season and ensure that electricity supply remained as uninterrupted as possible.He also directed deputy commissioners to constitute district-level committees to monitor the situation and submit regular reports to a high-level committee headed by the chief secretary.Officials were asked to remain vigilant and ensure that anti-social elements did not exploit the strike to create law-and-order problems.Separately, power minister Anil Vij said the state government had not invited applications for granting a private company a distribution licence in Haryana.He said HERC’s regulations provide for any eligible company to apply for such a licence, and the government had opposed the move from the beginning in consultation with the engineers’ association.The government’s position comes amid opposition from electricity employees to the entry of a second power distributor in Gurgaon and Nuh.The proposed strike could affect operations at the Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN), where a large number of employees and members of various unions are expected to participate.In Gurgaon, deputy commissioner Uttam Singh held a meeting with power officials on Wednesday and directed them to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply, with particular attention to hospitals, water supply systems and the Metro.He asked officials to make alternative arrangements to deal with staff shortages, remain alert throughout the strike period and restore supply promptly in the event of an outage.Departments were also directed to coordinate closely to minimise disruption to residents.DHBVN is making arrangements to maintain supply during the strike, officials said.The administration has asked consumers to report outages and other electricity-related emergencies through the utility’s toll-free numbers, 1912 and 180010804334.Complaints can also be registered through WhatsApp at 8813999708 and 9540954768.The district administration said complaints would be addressed on priority during the strike period.The outcome of the government’s proposed appeal and the response of employee unions will be crucial in determining whether the three-day strike proceeds as scheduled.
