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SKM Slams Privatization of Chandigarh Power Department, Calls for Nationwide Protest  

SKM has condemned the privatization of the Chandigarh Power Department and the imposition of the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) on protesting electricity workers.

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SKM Slams Privatization of Chandigarh Power Department, Calls for Nationwide Protest  
The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has condemned the privatization of the Chandigarh Power Department and the imposition of the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) on protesting electricity workers. The farmers’ body has called for a nationwide movement to protect public assets from privatization.   Despite being a highly profitable government-run entity, the Chandigarh Power Department is being handed over to a private player for just Rs 174.63 crore, even though it earns an annual profit of Rs 250 crore.
SKM has questioned BJP President JP Nadda on why such a profitable public sector undertaking (PSU) is being sold at such a low price.   As per a statement of the SKM, the Chandigarh Power Department generates an annual turnover of Rs 1,000 crore and maintains one of the lowest electricity tariffs in the country at Rs 4.50 per unit. The department has also kept its Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) losses under 10%, making it a model PSU. However, the privatization process has been marred by controversy, as valuable government land is being leased to the private company for just Re 1 per month, while other assets have been valued at a mere Re 1 per item,  it alleged.
SKM has accused the BJP-led union government of selling public assets to corporate monopolies under the guise of privatization. The farmers’ organization also pointed out that BJP-ruled states like Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan are following the same path, with electricity workers in those states also protesting against privatization.  According to SKM, privatization not only leads to higher electricity prices for consumers but also destroys job security and eliminates reservation-based recruitment in the public sector. This, it says, directly harms marginalized communities, including Dalits, Adivasis, OBCs, and minorities, by reducing their access to stable employment.
For the past 50 days, electricity workers in Chandigarh have been holding daily demonstrations against the privatization move. SKM has extended full support to their struggle and urged farmers and the public across India to join hands in protecting public assets from being taken over by private corporations.   “The fight against privatization must become a people’s movement to safeguard the public sector and prevent the looting of national resources by corporate monopolies,” reads the statement.