People's Democracy

PUNJAB

CPI(M) To Launch Agitation Against Privatisation Of SEB

Charan Singh Virdi

A BROAD-based resistance movement will be launched against the privatisation of Punjab State Electricity Board and for adequate supply of electricity to all sectors in Punjab. In the first phase of the agitation, district level conventions and state wide jathas (marches) will be held in the next two months.

This was decided in a state-level convention, organised by the CPI(M) and held at Bhakna Bhawan, Chandigarh on February 24. The convention was attended by more than 1000 CPI(M) activists from all over Punjab and Chandigarh. The convention was presided over by CPI(M) state secretariat member and president of Punjab Kisan Sabha, Rachhpal Singh. It was addressed among others by CPI(M) state secretary, Balwant Singh, former chief engineer and ex-president of Federation of Power Engineers of India, Padamjit Singh, ex-Administrative member of PSEB, Surinderpal Singh Maan, CPI(M) state secretariat members, Raghunath Singh, Vijay Mishra and Lehmbar Singh Taggar.

The resolution calling for this agitation was moved by CPI(M) state secretariat member, Charan Singh Virdi. It noted that after independence, the nation made considerable progress in achieving self-reliance in the production of electricity, which increased from 2000 megawatt to 1,10,000, megawatt in 2002. This progress was made possible because of the Public Sector & Electricity Supply Act, 1948, which was enacted with the sole motive of providing cheaper electricity to people from all walks of life. After the formation of Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB), the production of electricity has increased by 10.3 times – from 553 MW to 5700 MW. The consumption of electricity has also increased from 700 million units to 20,000 million units; the number of consumers has increased from 6.35 lakh to 54 lakh; the number of agricultural tubewells has also increased by 18 times. It will not be out of place to mention here that Punjab became self-reliant in the area of electricity in the year 1976 itself whereas even today 56 per cent of people in the rest of the country are still without electricity.

The convention has noted how the board reduced the supply of electricity to industry and increased it to agriculture during severe drought conditions in the year 2002.  The fact that this was done despite the industry paying higher charges for electricity, highlights the truth that it was possible only because the board was a public sector undertaking. The private sector would have not been done it as their sole motive is to earn profits.

Addressing the convention, Balwant Singh vehemently condemned the Congress state government for its moves to unbundle and privatise the Punjab SEB. He warned the state government that unless it backed off from these moves, it would have to face a massive, organised wrath of the people from all walks of life. Saying that electricity is an engine of growth of the economy, he asserted that it was the responsibility of the state to supply it in adequate quantity and on cheaper and reasonable rates. He further said that the role of the PSEB in this regard has been commendable.

Criticising the Electricity Act 2003, which was enacted by the BJP-led NDA government, as an anti-people measure, he said the unbundling and privatisation of the PSEB under this Act will make electricity much costlier and ruin the economy of the state. It would also increase unemployment and deprive the poor people of this essential facility.

Other speakers at the convention highlighted how this move of breaking the electricity boards proved a failure in various states where it was implemented. There was no increase in the production of electricity but electricity tariff went quite steeply. In Punjab, for domestic use, the rate of electricity was Rs 2.40 per unit in the year 2001 whereas in the states where the electricity boards had been privatised such as Orissa, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, the rates are Rs 4.80, Rs 3.88, Rs 3.12, Rs 3.60, Rs 4.30 and Rs 3.54 respectively. Similarly, in the agriculture sector, the rate of electricity in Punjab is Rs 3.35 per unit but in Orissa, Haryana Rajasthan, Delhi Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka the rates are Rs 5.50, Rs 4.50 Rs 4.90, Rs 4.25, Rs 4.52, and Rs 3.70 respectively. These figures reveal the hollowness of the claims of those who are advocating the policy of corporatisation and privatisation and that it would be in the favor of consumers. The speakers demanded of the Capt. Amrinder Singh government to learn from the experience of Orissa, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka in this sector.

The speakers blamed the government for not only backing out from its election promise but also of exhibiting utter callousness towards the growing resentment and agitation of the PSEB employees and people against the moves of unbundling of the PSEB.

The convention through the resolution has demanded of the UPA government that it should review the Electricity Act of 2003 as per the promise given in the Common Minimum Programme and pending this, the Act should be kept in abeyance.

The convention has demanded of the Punjab government that it should desist from unbundling and privatisation of PSEB and improve the functioning of the management through reforms along democratic lines. The convention has also made the following demands:

·        24 hours uninterrupted supply of electricity at cheaper rates should be ensured

·        Subsidy in agriculture sector for common peasantry should be restored

·        Rural poor and agricultural workers be supplied 100 units of electricity per month free of cost for their domestic use

·        Adequate funds be allocated for proposed Dhuri thermal plant, Doraha gas- based thermal plant so that shortage in supply is removed at the earliest.

·        Theft in electricity and rampant corruption must be checked, and for this purpose a check-up system based on the representatives of the people be set up