Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday said the Centre’s move to privatise power distribution would make power unaffordable to vulnerable sections of society.
Speaking at the 21st State conference of the All India Trade Union Congress-aligned Kerala Electricity Workers Federation, Mr. Vijayan said the proposed Electricity (Amendment) Bill was an infringement on States' rights.
Power is a concurrent subject and the Centre had piloted the Bill without consulting the States.
Private players in the power sector tend to treat electricity as a commodity and would sell it to the highest bidder. In the process, power distribution would cease to become a public utility. Private firms moored to profit-making philosophy would not meet their social sector obligations such as subsidised power to citizens.
Moreover, they would have little incentive to extend distribution networks to low profit sectors and localities.
AITUC State general secretary K. P. Rajendran, and union leaders V. J. Kuriakose, B. Pradeep and A. Nasureeden were present.at the conference.
