Haryana backs power staff against private licence, urges unions to defer strike

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Wednesday assured electricity employees that the state government would strongly contest the grant of a parallel power distribution licence to a private company in Gurugram and Nuh districts, while appealing to unions to defer their proposed three-day statewide strike beginning Thursday.

Saini said the government stood firmly with power employees and would challenge the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission's (HERC) decision before the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity (APTEL). He also offered to engage lawyers trusted by the unions to pursue the case.

The Haryana Bijli Karamchari and Engineers Joint Sangharsh Morcha has called the strike to protest the grant of a parallel electricity distribution licence to Eleven Power Private Limited.

In an order dated October 19, HERC granted the company a 25-year distribution licence covering Gurugram and Nuh districts under Section 14 of the Electricity Act, 2003.

𝗚𝗼𝘃𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗖 𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿

Chairing a high-level review meeting in Chandigarh, Saini said the state government had opposed HERC's decision alongside the power employees' unions.

He said the government had decided to approach APTEL in accordance with the unions' demand and was prepared to pursue the matter through lawyers of their choice.

Reiterating that the government's doors remained open for dialogue, the chief minister urged the unions to reconsider their agitation in the larger public interest.

Energy Minister Anil Vij said the government would explore every available legal remedy to challenge the regulatory decision.

"We will first contest the matter before APTEL and, if necessary, take it to the Supreme Court. We stand firmly with the electricity employees and will continue this legal battle to the very end," Vij said.

The minister maintained that the government had neither invited applications nor sought proposals for privatisation of electricity distribution.

He explained that HERC was an autonomous regulatory body established under central electricity legislation, which allows eligible entities to apply directly for distribution licences.

Vij said the licence had been granted following an application by the private company, but the state government disagreed with the decision and had opposed it.

𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗱

The chief minister reviewed contingency arrangements for the proposed strike with senior administrative and police officials.

Energy Minister Vij, Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi and Director General of Police Ajay Singhal attended the meeting, while deputy commissioners from all districts participated virtually.

Saini directed district administrations to ensure that electricity supply remained uninterrupted and that residents did not face inconvenience during the agitation.

He instructed departments to take proactive measures to prevent disruptions and ensure the protection of power infrastructure.

The chief minister also ordered drone surveillance of sensitive electricity installations to strengthen monitoring during the strike.

𝟲,𝟮𝟯𝟬 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗱

DGP Ajay Singhal informed the meeting that adequate security arrangements had been made across Haryana in anticipation of the strike.

A total of 6,230 police personnel have been deployed at 1,015 locations across the state's districts to maintain security and safeguard essential infrastructure.

Saini also directed deputy commissioners to identify alternative technical manpower to support electricity operations if required.

He said district administrations could enlist technical employees from other government departments, skilled personnel working in industries and final-year students of polytechnic colleges and Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs).

However, he emphasised that such personnel must be provided with appropriate safety kits before being assigned duties and that all prescribed safety measures should be followed.

𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹

The state government has also initiated precautionary measures to ensure that essential healthcare services are not affected by any disruption in electricity supply.

Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Sumita Misra, directed all civil surgeons and principal medical officers across Haryana to ensure uninterrupted functioning of hospitals and other healthcare institutions during the three-day strike.

The instructions are aimed at maintaining critical medical services and ensuring that healthcare facilities remain operational throughout the proposed agitation.

Meanwhile, Vij reiterated the government's willingness to engage with the unions, saying that disputes could be resolved through dialogue.

He maintained that the administration remained committed to defending the interests of electricity employees while ensuring that essential public services continued without disruption.