KECA's 'no' to power sector privatisation

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Karnataka Electricity Consumer Association (KECA) which held its first statelevel conference of electricity consumers here Sunday, opposed the scrapping of the electricity amendment bill, claiming it would leave the door open for privatisation of the power sector in the state.

The KCEA is affiliated to the All India Electricity Consumers' Association (AIECA). SR Raja Naik, Working President, KPTCL Employees Union said the power sector is essentially a public service, and the government should bear the responsibility of running it as peoples' livelihoods depended on it.

“Unfortunately, today the Central and the State governments are hell-bent on selling the very same sector which was built by the public to the profitmongering private organizations. It is clear that thegovernment is subservient to private sectors and does not have an iota of concern about the issues and woes of the general public who are already reeling under price rise, unemployment, etc. Along with this, lakhs of stable jobs under the publicly funded power sector will be destroyed. It is high time the people of the country pay heed to the issue and come forward to build mass movements and resistance to fight out such policies,” Naik said.

K Somashekar, Convenor of KECA and Vice President of AIECA claimed that the Congress governments through their policies of liberalization, privatization and globalization had flagged off the privatization of essential sectors including education, health, transportation and power.