Engineers’ body AIPEF to observe August 9 as anti-privatisation day

New Delhi, Aug 7 (PTI) The All India Power Engineers’ Federation on Monday said it will observe August 9 as anti-privatisation day in protest against the government’s “privatisation drive”.

The decision was taken in a meeting of the National Coordination Committee of Electricity Employees and Engineers (NCCOEEE) in the national capital last week.

The meeting was presided over by All India Power Engineers’ Federation (AIPEF) Secretary General P Rathnakar Rao, the association said in a statement.

“AIPEF will observe anti-privatisation day on August 9 in all state capitals and Union Territories across the country with a slogan to withdraw all privatisation attempts (by the government), including the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2022,” it said.

AIPEF Chairman Shailendra Dubey said 124 employees were suspended and 2,400 contractual workers were removed from their jobs in Uttar Pradesh and have not yet been reinstated.

UP Power Corporation is planning to lay off 70,000 contractual workers and replace them with ex-servicemen, Dubey claimed.

AIPEF spokesperson V K Gupta said NCCOEEE will organise a “Delhi Chalo Rally” to oppose the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2022 during the winter session of Parliament.