Electricity employees in Fatehabad continued their three-day strike against parallel distribution licences for a private company. (Rimpi Jindal)
Fatehabad: Electricity employees across Fatehabad continued their three-day strike for a second consecutive day on Friday, protesting the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission’s decision to grant a parallel electricity distribution licence to private company Eleven Power for 25 years in Gurugram and Nuh districts. Called by the Electricity Employees and Engineers Joint Struggle Front, the strike brought work at electricity offices across the district to a complete halt, affecting public-facing administrative services.
Protesting employees maintained that handing over parts of the public electricity distribution system to private operators would harm both consumer interests and the workforce. They vowed to continue the agitation until the government withdrew the decision.
The second day’s demonstration and sit-in were held on the premises of an electricity facility in Fatehabad. The protest was jointly chaired by Circle Secretary Fakir Chand Saini, Bhup Singh Bhadolawali, Ashok Kumar Panu of the Engineers’ Association, and Pawan Selwal of the SC-BC Workers’ Union. Ramniwas Sharma and Sanjay Saini jointly conducted the proceedings.
Addressing the gathering, employee representatives argued that the privatisation of public electricity corporations would undermine public welfare and workers’ interests. They criticised the move to introduce a private distribution operator in Gurugram and Nuh and reiterated their demand for the government to reverse its decision.
The dispute centres on the decision to grant Eleven Power a parallel electricity distribution licence for 25 years in the two districts. Protesters and their supporters contend that Gurugram and Nuh are important revenue-generating areas and that transferring distribution rights to a private company could weaken the financial position of public-sector electricity utilities.
The employees have demanded that electricity distribution remain under public-sector control, arguing that decisions affecting essential services should prioritise consumers and public interest.
The protest received political backing on its second day, with Congress MLA from Fatehabad Balwan Singh Daulatpuria, senior INLD leader Sunaina Chautala and INLD district president Bikar Singh Hadoli reaching the electricity facility with party workers.
The leaders criticised the government’s policy, alleging that it favoured private corporate interests at the expense of public utilities. They argued that transferring high-revenue areas to a private operator could financially weaken the existing electricity corporations.
The opposition representatives assured the protesting employees that they would support their campaign and called for the concerns of workers and the public to be addressed.
Several employee associations, farmers’ organisations and civil society groups also expressed solidarity with the strike.
Those attending included Nihal Singh Matana of the Retired Employees Association; Dr Prithvi Singh Bana and Master Ramdas of the Sarv Karamchari Sangh; Vijaypal Jakhar and Begraj of the Haryana Karamchari Mahasangh; and representatives from public health, municipal council and other employee groups.
Representatives of the Ambedkar Sabha, the Citizens’ Rights Forum, the Pagri Sambhal Jatta Kisan Sangharsh Committee and the Kheti Bachao Kisan Sangathan were also present. Among those named were Banarsi Das Monga, Harkishan Lal Kamboj, councillor Mohan Lal Narang, Dr Ramphal Singh, Ravindra Hijrawan, Malkit Singh Uppal, Lavi Bath, Tajinder Singh Toor Salmkhera, Bansilal Sihag and Ravindra Karwasra, along with several other social and community representatives.
The broad participation reflected growing support for the employees’ opposition to the proposed privatisation arrangement. The workers maintained that their agitation would continue until their demands were considered and the decision was withdrawn.
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