AP electricity employees oppose union's Energy Bill

Amaravati: The energy department employees staged a statewide protest against the proposed Energy (Amendment) Bill, 2020 by the union government. They demanded to withdraw this Bill as it will hurt the interests of the farmers and ordinary consumers.

The AP Electricity Employees JAC demanded the union government withdraw the proposal, on this occasion. The JAC Chairman P Chandrasekhar and Convener M Vedavyasa Rao said that the energy subject was included in the third list of the Constitution of India since it has that much importance. But, the central government has been attempting to take away the powers of the State governments by enacting new sections in the Energy Act.

The employees informed that as per the new Act, the regulatory authority will be transferred from State governments to the Union government and thereby real problems will emerge. When the union government will regulate the energy sector, the State governments could not provide subsidies to the farmers and other sectors, they explained. In addition to that, the State governments could not have any authority to monitor the Power Purchasing Agreements, once the new law comes into force.