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Hindustan Times

Punjab: Protest in 14 districts against ‘privatisation' in power sector

The Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) on Monday organised protests in 14 districts, opposing 'privatisation' in the power sector. The protests were led by KMSC state president Sukhwinder Singh Sabhra and state general secretary Rana Ranbir Singh outside the offices of chief engineers, superintending engineers and other officials in Amritsar, Jalandhar, Gurdaspur, Tarn Taran, Firozpur, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala, Muktsar Sahib, Ludhiana, Moga, Fazilka, Pathankot, Faridkot and Bathinda. Farmers staging a protest against the state and the central governments in Amritsar on Monday. (Sameer Sehgal/HT) During the Amritsar protest, state leaders Satnam Singh Pannu and Sarwan Singh Pandher said the state government was aligning with the central government and 'misleading' people. Leaders Jasbir Singh Piddi and Savinder Singh Chutala said the Punjab government is buying expensive electricity from private thermal power plants. They stated that the Aam Aadmi Party, before forming the government, had promised to cancel these power purchase agreements. 'Instead of cancelling them, the government has been implementing laws since 2020 that aim to completely privatise the electricity board, acting on the directions of the central government,' they said. They added that the Electricity Amendment Bill of 2023 is now being reintroduced in the monsoon session of Parliament. 'This bill seeks to hand over the rights to determine electricity rates and supply to private companies. Prepaid meters are being installed under this policy. Union power minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Punjab's power minister Harbhajan Singh, in a press conference, declared that prepaid meters would be installed in all government offices and employee residences by August 31, and thereafter in general households as well,' said Pandher. Resolutions were passed against the land pooling policy and the tax-free trade agreements between India and the US. They said a large-scale movement would be launched against the land pooling policy. Regarding the tax-free trade agreements between India and the US, they said it would destroy local businesses. They said the government should withdraw it or face large-scale agitation. The third resolution mentioned that the drug de-addiction programme of the Punjab government had 'failed'.