AIPEF asks UP govt to revoke decision to privatise state discoms

New Delhi, Oct 10 (PTI) All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF) on Friday urged Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to revoke the decision to privatise two public sector distribution companies in light of the provisions of the Draft Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2025.

The AIPEF has demanded that the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath, immediately cancel the decision to privatise Purvanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam and Dakshinanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam, in light of the provisions of this draft bill, which contradict the policy of total privatisation, an AIPEF statement said.

"AIPEF has strongly opposed the Draft Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2025, issued yesterday (Thursday) by the Ministry of Power, Government of India, for the privatisation of the entire power distribution sector," it said.

According to the statement, the AIPEF will separately send a letter to the Union Power Ministry and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister in this regard.

The Draft Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2025 includes a provision that allows public sector power distribution corporations to continue operating while also permitting private companies to use the existing network of these corporations to obtain licenses for power distribution, the body said.

AIPEF Chairman Shailendra Dubey said in the statement that while electricity workers will vehemently oppose the Draft Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2025 across the country, the Uttar Pradesh government should reconsider its decision to privatise Purvanchal and Dakshinanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigams in light of the bill’s provisions.

Dubey stated that, as per the current decision of the Uttar Pradesh Government, all 42 districts under Purvanchal and Dakshinanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigams will be privatised and handed over to a private company, which would result in a monopoly of private entities in power distribution in these districts.

On the 317th day of the ongoing movement against privatisation, Uttar Pradesh power employees and engineers across the state continued widespread protests on Friday. PTI KKS 1.0.0 MR