NOIDA: In a mark of respect to Mahatma Gandhi on his birth anniversary, employees of UPPCL from both, transmission and distribution departments posted in Noida and Greater Noida (under Paschimanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Ltd – PVVNL wing) took a one-day break yesterday from their ongoing protest against the proposed privatisation of the power sector, already initiated from Purvanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Ltd.
Even as there was no response from the government on the issue, over 100 employees, under the Vidyut Karamchari Sanyukt Sangharsh Samiti (VKSSS) banner which is an auxiliary of UP Rajya Vidyut Upbhogta Sangharsh Samiti (UPRVUSS), would resume dharna protest from Saturday at the sector 16 discom office and even threaten a possible strike if demands against privatisation were not met.
“All electricity transmission and supply employees including senior officials are opposing the move for privatisation as the power sector has worked as a social redress field. Once privatised, the farmers and the poor will be most affected along with employees’ own welfare and services. Therefore, there has been an
ongoing statewide protest of VKSSS under UPRBUSS since past two weeks against privatisation,” said Krishna Kumar Saraswat, executive engineer, PVVNL GB Nagar.
According to Saraswat the government has already initiated privatisation bids for Purvanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Ltd that caters to divisions of Varanasi, Azamgarh, Ghazipur, Chandauli, Jaunpur, Sant Rabidas Nagar (Bhadohi), Mirzapur, Sonbhadra, Mau, Ballia, Deoria, Kushi Nagar, Gorakhpur etc.
“All electricity transmission and supply employees including senior officials are opposing the move for privatisation as the power sector has worked as a social redress field. Once privatised, the farmers and the poor will be most affected along with employees’ own welfare and services. Therefore, there has been an
ongoing statewide protest of VKSSS under UPRBUSS since past two weeks against privatisation,” said Krishna Kumar Saraswat, executive engineer, PVVNL GB Nagar.
According to Saraswat the government has already initiated privatisation bids for Purvanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Ltd that caters to divisions of Varanasi, Azamgarh, Ghazipur, Chandauli, Jaunpur, Sant Rabidas Nagar (Bhadohi), Mirzapur, Sonbhadra, Mau, Ballia, Deoria, Kushi Nagar, Gorakhpur etc.
“We have all back up arrangements and such a situation will not arise in GB Nagar as we will ensure continued supply,” said Singh.
Sector 123 substation energized
Meanwhile, the 400 kV new gas insulated substation (GIS) at Sector 123 that had got delayed due to Covid 19 lockdown was energised from Thursday to Friday. Together, with another 400 kV GIS at sector 148, which was energised in 2019, the supply issues of Noida will be largely addressed, say officials. “We
have now charged the 400 kV GIS at sector 123 at 3.30 pm on October 1 and its second part at 12:39 noon on Friday October 2. The sector 123 substation in Noida was all set to feed the upcoming three substations of 132/33 kV capacity in Noida. These include in sectors 63, 67 and 115. Each of these three substations are of 2×63 MVA capacity,” said Puneet Gupta superintending engineer (Transmission) Uttar Pradesh Power Transmission Corporation Limited (UPPTCL).
