Power engineers’ no to Electricity Amendment Bill

SHILLONG, July 22: The All India Power Engineers’ Federation (AIPEO) on Friday urged the Union government not to introduce the Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2022 in the Parliament without seeking the views of the stakeholders.
Talking to reporters after the general conference of the MeECL Engineers’ Association here, AIPEO chairman Shailendra Dubey said the proposed amendment bill needs wider consultations and the view of the other ministries was also critical.
“We would like to impress upon Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma to oppose this move of the Centre,” Dubey said.
According to him, the Centre’s move will encourage privatisation of the public sector undertakings which will, in turn, have a negative impact on the consumers, especially the BPL families or the lower income groups.
Replying to a query on the smart meter project being implemented in the state, Dubey said the introduction of smart meters will have a great impact on job opportunities and it will take away the jobs of the meter readers.