In a show of solidarity, thousands of power employees and farmers gathered in Prayagraj on Tuesday, urging chief minister Yogi Adityanath to roll back the UP Power Corporation’s privatisation proposal.
“The Bijli Panchayat, held in George Town, saw participation from representatives of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, the All India Kisan Sabha, and various trade unions, vowing a decisive “do or die” struggle against the move,” UP Vidyut Karmchari Sanyukta Sangharsh Samiti convenor Shailendra Dubey said.
The gathering highlighted that privatisation experiments in other regions like Odisha, Aurangabad and Greater Noida had proven to be failures, causing hardships for both consumers and employees. “Electricity, treated as a public service by government companies, is viewed as a profit-making business by private firms,” speakers said.
They pointed out that electricity rates in Uttar Pradesh were significantly lower, with domestic consumers paying ₹6.50 per unit and farmers receiving free electricity. In contrast, private companies in Mumbai charge ₹17-18 per unit.
“Privatisation in Uttar Pradesh could push domestic rates to ₹15 per unit, and farmers operating a 5-HP tube well for six hours could face bills exceeding ₹15,000,” they cautioned. Dubey accused the power corporation management of ignoring multiple high court directives, including establishing a grievance redress system for employees and continuing dialogue over unresolved issues.
“The management’s refusal to engage with us shows their undue haste to implement privatisation, even at the cost of court orders,” he alleged. Despite their opposition, power employees pledged to ensure uninterrupted electricity during the upcoming Mahakumbh, vowing to create a record of exemplary service.
