Proposed electricity bill not in interest of poor, farmers, says Chhattisgarh CM Baghel

RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Monday strongly opposed the proposed Electricity Amendment Bill 2020, saying it is not in the interest of the poor and farmers.

In a letter to Union Minister of State for Power R K Singh, the chief minister urged that the proposed bill be held in abeyance in view of the current (pandemic) situation of the country, and state governments should be consulted thoroughly before its implementation.

The implementation of the proposed amendment bill will adversely affect the lower sections of society as the provision of cross subsidy in it is "impractical" and not in the interest of farmers and the poor, Baghel said in an official statement.

He said farmers will face a crisis if the subsidy on electricity given to them for irrigation is not continued and thereby, it will affect the production of food grains.

"The bill could be suitable for the upper class people and advisers who sit in air-conditioned rooms, but is far from the ground reality. The implementation of this amendment bill will create many problems before the country and will not only harm the poor and farmers but also power companies and common people," he said.

The proposed bill will usurp rights of state governments, as a provision has been made under it to bring the rights of appointment to the State Electricity Regulatory Commissions under the purview of the Centre which is contrary to the system of federal structure, he said.

This amendment bill will promote capitalism and allowprivate companies to take possession of the Electricity Board, Baghel claimed . ... the billproposes formation of Centralised Electricity Contract Enforcement Authority (ECEA) which is also unjustified. If this is done, the state electricity regulatory commission will become devoid of powers, he said.

The proposed amendment also empowers the central government to preserve renewable and hydroelectric procurement obligations.

Different states of the country have different resources and in view of this, it will not be appropriate to implement it for the whole country, he said.