Electricity Amendment Bill brought in Lok Sabha amid Oppn protests

Referred to Parliamentary panel for wider consultations

NEW DELHI/CHANDIGARH: The contentious Electricity Amendment Bill, 2022 aimed at giving multiple players open access to distribution networks of power suppliers and also allowing consumers to choose any service provider was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Monday amid protests by the opposition.

Power Minister R K Singh introduced the bill to amend the Electricity Act, 2003 and urged Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to refer it to a Parliamentary Standing Committee for wider consultations to address the concerns raised by the opposition.

While the opposition MPs claimed that the bill seeks to take away certain rights of state governments, two chief ministers-Bhagwant Mann(Punjab) and Arvind Kejriwal(Delhi), both from the Aam Aadmi Party(AAP)-- called the measure “dangerous” and felt it will increase people’s suffering and benefit only few companies. But the Centre said the bill is “pro-people” and “pro-farmer”.

The bill is aimed at allowing privatisation of electricity on the lines of telecom where power consumers will have the option to choose the electricity supplier on the lines of opting any telephone, mobile and internet service.

The All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF) claimed in a statement that lakhs of power sector employees and engineers across the country stopped work on Monday and held demonstrations in protest against the amendment bill.

The AIPEF alleged that the bill will end all subsidies to power consumers affecting commoners, especially farmers and the downtrodden.

Minister Singh claimed the opposition members were indulging in “false propaganda” against the bill.

“The farmers will continue to get free power. There will be no roll back of subsidy,” he said amid calls for wider consultations on the contentious measure.

“We have consulted the states and other stakeholders. This bill is pro-people and profarmers,” Singh said as he introduced the bill in the Lok Sabha.

Opposing the introduction of the bill, RSP MP N K Premachandran, Congress members Manish Tewari and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, CPI(M)’s M A Arif, Trinamool member Saugata Roy and DMK leader T R Baalu said the draft legislation was against the federal structure of the Constitution.

Opposition members demanded a division on the motion moved by the minister to introduce the bill, which was rejected by the Speaker.

The bill is aimed at allowing privatisation of electricity on the lines of telecom