AIPEF writes to PM, seeks ‘detailed deliberations’ of stakeholders on Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2021

The All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF) has written to the prime Minister seeking “detailed deliberations” with various stakeholders on the proposed Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2021, before rushing it to Parliament.

The federation in a letter to the prime minister has stressed that the proposed bill should not be rushed to Parliament during the pandemic period and there should be detailed discussions with power sector engineers and employees, an AIPEF statement said.

V K Gupta, an AIPEF spokesperson, said in the statement that the Ministry of Power circulated the Draft Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2021 on February 5 only to the state secretaries of energy for comments to be sent within two weeks, which was totally inadequate.

This procedure is anomalous and defective as important stakeholders comprising power sector engineers and employees, electricity consumers have been excluded from giving their comments, it stated.

Further, even before the time completion of two weeks, video conferences were proposed to be held on February 17 to give views on amendments, it added.

Thee virtual discussions were also held with regulators. The whole exercise to rush through this bill is thus nontransparent, undemocratic and discriminatory, it said.