CHANDIGARH: With the Supreme Court staying the Punjab and Haryana high court’s May 28 order of halting power privatisation process of the Chandigarh administration, the UT powermen union filed an application before the court seeking early hearing of the main case, which was listed for August 18.
The high court has now fixed August 5 as the next date of hearing of the main petition filed by the union. In it, the union has challenged the administration and the Centre’s order of privatisation of UT electricity department.
The petitioners submitted, “The respondents (the Union government and the UT administration) are proceeding at an extraordinary hurriedness for finalization of the privatization. In case the matter is not heard in July itself, the respondents will succeed in their mala fide intentions of privatisation of UT electricity department, when continuously for last many years, it is having huge revenue surplus.”
The HC on May 28 had stayed the power privatisation process on the application filed by Gopal Dutt Joshi, general secretary of UT powermen union. Thereafter, the UT administration had moved the Supreme Court and challenged the HC’s order. The apex court had stayed the HC’s order on June 28.
After SC’s relief, the UT had re-started the process, with the UT adviser Dharam Pal meeting power ministry officials in Delhi.
