Mumbai/Nagpur: Former Maharashtra Energy Minister Dr. Nitin Raut on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the State Government in the Legislative Assembly, accusing it of using the privatization of power distribution as a means to dismantle the reservation system. His remarks came as thousands of engineers, workers, and employees of state power companies observed a strike under the banner of the Joint Action Committee, protesting against the privatization of Maharashtra’s electricity sector.
Dr. Raut alleged that the Mahayuti government is systematically pushing for privatization, aiming to hand over the profit-generating areas of MSEDCL (MahaVitaran) to private players like Adani Electricity and Torrent Power. “The move is nothing short of a conspiracy to abolish reservations and constitutional rights of backward class employees,” he said during the ongoing monsoon session of the State Legislature.
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He stated that every day, one industry or another is being sold off, and public sector undertakings are being shut down. “The country is headed rapidly toward privatization. Under the guise of consumer welfare, the government is trying to dismantle MSEDCL — the second-largest distribution company in Asia — using unconstitutional provisions of the Electricity Act, 2003 and manipulating the State Electricity Regulatory Commission,” he claimed.
Parallel license requests raise concerns
Dr. Raut pointed out that Adani Electricity Navi Mumbai Ltd. has applied for parallel distribution licenses in Navi Mumbai, Thane, Panvel, Kharghar, Taloja, and Uran. Similarly, Torrent Power has sought licenses for Nagpur, Vasai, Virar, Kalyan, Dombivli, Ulhasnagar, and Thane. Tata Power has also applied for licenses in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Badnapur, Jalna Taluka, and Waluj MIDC. These moves, he said, are part of a broader attempt to economically destabilize MSEDCL.
Referring to the Maharashtra Reservation Act, 2001, Dr. Raut highlighted that Section 2 of the Act mandates that private companies availing government land, infrastructure, and subsidies must adhere to reservation policies. Since MSEDCL is a government entity under the definition of ‘State,’ selling it off violates the Constitution, he said.
He also questioned the legality of issuing parallel licenses to private firms and warned that such actions threaten the rights of reserved category employees under the Constitution.
Dr. Raut raised the following key questions in the Assembly:
• Will the government immediately stop the ongoing unconstitutional process of issuing parallel power distribution licenses to private companies that undermine backward class rights?
• Will the government halt contractual recruitment for three years on permanent posts in technical, operational, HR, and accounts categories and regularize the existing assistant staff?
• Will the state stop the illegal privatization of 329 out of 4,188 sub-stations under the guise of restructuring?
• Will the government launch a special recruitment drive to fill approximately 32,000 vacant posts in MSEDCL, including backlogs for reserved categories?
• Will the government revoke its May 7, 2021 order, which denies promotions to reserved category employees from both reserved and open categories, in light of the Supreme Court ruling?
Assistant employees facing exploitation
Thousands of assistant employees in MSEDCL and Mahapareshan (Transmission Company) are struggling under poor pay and contractual work conditions. Substation assistants are required to have two years of experience but are made to work for three years on contract. Despite being recruited through competitive exams, they are paid meagre wages, leading to prolonged financial hardship.
Dr. Raut demanded that the government put an end to such exploitation by regularizing assistant employees and halting privatization efforts that jeopardize employee rights and public welfare.
