Protest Rally and Demonstration Against the Draft Electricity Amendment Bill 2025, Chandigarh

Protest Rally and Demonstration Against the Draft Electricity Amendment Bill 2025, Chandigarh

Chandigarh 10 March ( Ranjeet Singh Dhaliwal ) : In response to the call of the National Coordination Committee of Electricity Employees and Engineers (NCEEE), in light of the expected introduction of the Draft Electricity Amendment Bill 2025 in Parliament today, a nationwide protest rally and demonstration was held in Chandigarh today, in front of the office of the Executive Engineer, Vidyut Mandal No. 2, Industrial Area, Phase 1, Chandigarh, on the call of the UT Powermen Union, Chandigarh. The rally was presided over by Union President Amrik Singh. Highlighting the main points of the rally and demonstration, Union General Secretary Gopal Dutt Joshi stated that there were speculations that the Central Government would hastily introduce the Electricity Amendment Bill 2025 in the current session of Parliament on March 10, 2026. In light of the government's efforts to hastily introduce the bill, a meeting of the National Coordination Committee of Electricity Employees and Officers decided to hold protest rallies and demonstrations across the country today to protest this decision. Addressing the protest rally, Union General Secretary Gopal Dutt Joshi said that an analysis of this bill clearly demonstrates that it is not a reform in the public interest, but a roadmap to promote privatization, weaken public sector enterprises, and benefit corporate power companies. This will result in increased electricity rates for both ordinary consumers and agricultural consumers.

As the government itself admits, despite the enactment of the Electricity Act and numerous reforms, the distribution sector's financial losses have increased from ₹2600 crore to ₹6.9 lakh crore. Any sensible policymaker would have reconsidered the course taken in this situation. Instead, this bill further steers the same direction that created this crisis. This clearly shows that the intention is not to solve problems but to create opportunities for private profit and encroach on the rights of states. Union President Amrik Singh said that the bill attempts to eliminate cross-subsidies under Section 61(g). This means that ultra-wealthy consumers like Tata, Birla, Adani, Ambani, and the very poor will all be charged the same rate. In a country like India, where 70 percent of the population cannot afford electricity at market rates, cross-subsidies are essential. Without them, domestic and agricultural consumers will face substantial increases in electricity rates, farmers and poor families will be severely affected, and state governments will have to bear the burden of private companies' profits by subsidizing them with public funds. This will create a situation where electricity will become unaffordable for the common people.

Union Vice President Sukhwinder Singh Sidhu and Gurmeet Singh, Kashmir Singh, Vinay Prasad, Virendra Singh, Surjeet Singh, and Pan Singh stated that with privatization, permanent jobs will be replaced by contract and outsourced work, safety will be compromised, workers' job guarantees and union rights will be eliminated, and millions of workers will face uncertainty. This is a direct attack on the organized labor class and public sector employees. It is also an attack on farmers, laborers, lower-income groups, as well as Scheduled Castes/Tribes and other economically backward communities. Addressing the protest rally, Federation President Rajendra Katoch, UTMC Pensioners' Association President Ujagar Singh Mohi, Sucha Singh Vijay Singh, Federation Vice President Harpal Singh, Joint Secretary Bihari Lal, Naseeb Singh, and others strongly condemned the government's draft Electricity Bill 2025. The speakers further demanded that the Draft Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2025, be immediately withdrawn.

Electricity should remain a public service, not a private commodity.

No privatization or franchise model should be implemented in generation, transmission, and distribution.

Cross-subsidy and universal service obligations should be maintained.

Necessary steps should be taken to reduce electricity tariffs nationwide.

The rights of state discoms and employees should be protected.