Vokram Ditya Sharma/ Ferozepur
Undeterred by heavy rainfall, hundreds of members of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) today staged a massive protest outside the office of the Superintending Engineer (SE), Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) in the cantonment area, expressing strong resentment against the installation of “Smart Chip” electricity meters and the alleged move towards privatization of the power sector.
(MOREPIC1)Addressing the gathering, State President Sukhwinder Singh Sabhra said the Union Government was preparing to introduce the Electricity Amendment Bill 2025 in the upcoming monsoon session of Parliament, which he alleged would further empower corporate control over the electricity sector. “It is a conspiracy to benefit corporate houses, and the burden will ultimately fall on common people like us,” said Sabhra.
(SUBHEAD)“Once the power sector falls into the hands of corporates, they will dictate tariffs, making electricity unaffordable for middle-class families and marginal farmers,” he warned. He further claimed that valuable agricultural land would be transferred to corporate hands at throwaway prices, endangering Punjab’s agrarian identity as the ‘Food Bowl of India’.
District President Inderjeet Singh Bath said that under the 1948 Electricity Act, the sector operated for public benefit, employing over 1.35 lakh people in Punjab and ensuring access to affordable power. “But after the 2003 amendment, the system was restructured to favor private entities, allowing them to earn up to 16% profit and granting them rights to produce and sell electricity,” he said. “The ongoing replacement of mechanical meters with Smart Chip Prepaid Meters is just another step in this privatization agenda, which will not be tolerated,” Bath added, warning that the new bill would push electricity out of reach for the common consumer.
Later, Navneet Kumar, XEN (Tech), met the protesting delegation and assured them that their demands would be forwarded to higher authorities, following which the dharna was peacefully lifted.
