In the ongoing Monsoon Parliament Session, a bill to amend the Electricity Act to allow non-discriminatory open access to distribution networks of power suppliers was introduced in Lok Sabha on Monday amid protests by the opposition, which claimed that it seeks to take away certain rights of state governments.
Power Minister R K Singh introduced the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2022 and urged Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to refer it to a parliamentary standing committee for wider consultations to address concerns raised by the opposition.
Opposing the introduction of the Bill, RSP member N K Premachandran, Congress members Manish Tewari and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, CPI(M)’s M A Arif, Trinamool member Saugata Roy and DMK leader T R Baalu said the draft legislation was against the federal structure of the Constitution.
Premachandran said electricity was on the concurrent list and it was the “bounden duty” of the Centre to have effective consultations with state governments before introducing the Bill.
Tewari said the Bill sought to allow multiple private companies to provide electricity in the same area, a provision that could lead to “privatisation of profits and nationalisation of losses”. He contended that the legislation also sought to reduce the role of the Centre in distribution of electricity.
Roy and Arif said the bill was contrary to the assurances given by the Modi government to the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, which had laid a year-long siege to the national capital demanding roll back of agricultural reforms and shelving of proposed amendments to the Electricity Act.
Furthermore, The bill, as tabled, will also amend section 152 to facilitate decriminalisation of offence as it would be mandatory to accept compounding.
Stay tuned for further updates.
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