Jaipur: Concerns over the possible privatisation of Jodhpur discom or some of its zones took centre stage as a delegation of the Rajasthan Vidyut Shramik Mahasangh (BMS) met senior officials of the energy department Monday.Led by state president Lakhan Singh Gurjar, the delegation expressed strong apprehension over recent administrative discussions related to the financial condition of Jodhpur discom, which the union fears could pave the way for privatisation.The union pointed out that repeated high-level deliberations on the utility’s performance triggered anxiety among employees, who see privatisation as a threat to job security and service conditions. It urged the govt to adopt corrective financial and operational measures instead of considering private participation.Responding to the concerns, officials clarified that there is currently no proposal to privatise Jodhpur discom or some of its zones.“The energy secretary told us that the recent discussions were purely aimed at addressing the utility’s deteriorating financial health and improving revenue recovery,” said a member of the BMS who was present at the meeting.The union representatives were informed that the priority of the department is to strengthen internal efficiency.However, officials also underlined that improving billing efficiency and revenue realisation is critical to sustaining public ownership of power distribution companies. They indicated that coordinated efforts by employees and management could help avoid extreme measures in the future.The union, while welcoming the clarification, reiterated that employees are ready to cooperate in improving performance but called for transparent communication and long-term assurances against privatisation.
