The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:
Halt Privatisation of the Chandigarh Power Utility
The Chandigarh UT Administration is desperate to privatize its highly profitable, efficient and low tariff Power utility. The high valued utility was put up for bidding in an irregular way at a base price of a meager Rs. 174.63 crores without proper evaluation, whereas the profits of the utility for the past several years were around Rs. 250 crores.
The Chandigarh electricity employees, their family members, elderly people, women and children are demonstrating against this privatization for the last 50 days. The people of Chandigarh have formed an anti-privatization forum represented by several village committees, resident welfare associations, independent women organizations, Gurudwara committees, kisan and youth organizations.
Instead of listening to the stakeholders, the Chandigarh UT Administration has invoked Essential Service Maintenance Act (ESMA) and lodged FIRs against the leadership. The electricity employees have also submitted their strike notice as the last resort of their struggle.
Similar attempts of privatization of the electricity sector have been unleashed in UP and Rajasthan also. This will endanger the energy sovereignty and security of the country.
The Polit Bureau demands that Central and state governments should roll-back these privatisation attempts. The Chandigarh UT Administration should immediately withdraw all repressive measures invoked and start talks with the stake holders of the electricity i.e. the struggling employees and consumers.