Employees of MeECL to join nationwide protest against move to amend Electricity Act, 2003

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaAugust 7, 2022

Employees and engineers of the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL) under the banner of the Coordination Committee of Registered MeECL Association and Unions (CCORMAU) will stage a protest against the Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2022 on Monday.

The decision was taken during an emergency online meeting of the CCORMAU held on Sunday in support of the resolution adopted by the National Coordination Committee of Electricity Employees and Engineers (NCCOEEE) during its national convention held in Delhi on August 2.

The resolution was in protest to the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2022 and the central government’s policy of privatization of the power sector, president of the coordination PK Shullet said in a statement. 

He informed that all the MeECL employees and engineers will come out of their work places and demonstrate with the rest of the country with banners and placards for one to two hours in all district headquarters. 

“The protest will be peaceful and carried without any disruption to Power supply. Thereafter any further action shall be taken in consonance with the decisions of the NCCOEEE,” Shullet said.

According to him, the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2022 is being brought to amend the Electricity Act 2003, which is going to have far-reaching adverse effects on the power sector, electricity consumers and electricity employees and engineers.

He said last year, the Central Government had promised through a written letter to the United Kisan Morcha on December 9, 2021, that the Electricity (Amendment) Bill would not be introduced in the Parliament without consultation with all the stakeholders, including farmers. 

“There have not been such discussions till date. Now if the central government has taken a unilateral decision to present and pass the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2022 in the Parliament on the 8th of August 2022, then it is a clear violation of the written promise given to the United Kisan Morcha,” he said.

Further despite repeated requests from the NCCOEEE and All India Power Engineers Federation, (AIPEF) the central government has not held any talks with the Electricity Engineers or the employees even once regarding the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2022, Shullet