Power engineers challenge privatisation push
Lucknow: The Vidyut Karamchari Samyukta Sangharsh Samiti has intensified its 196-day protest against privatisation, challenging power minister Arvind Kumar Sharma's push for private sector involvement.
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The Samiti has even invited the minister to a power mahapanchayat on June 22 in Lucknow, urging him to explain the benefits of privatisation to farmers, consumers, and workers.
They dismissed the minister's claims of better private sector technology and management, pointing out that line losses have already dropped from 40% to 16.5% under the RDSS scheme, with Rs 44,000 crore invested in infrastructure. "Why privatise when we are close to the 15% target?" asked Shailendra Dubey, the Samiti's convenor, alleging a Rs 1.1 lakh crore loss due to poor management.
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