Former chief minister and Leader of the Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda has opposed the decision to grant a parallel electricity distribution licence to Eleven Power Private Limited in Gurugram and Nuh districts, alleging that it was a move towards the privatisation of power distribution.
Claiming that the decision had triggered widespread opposition, Hooda said the Congress opposed the move in public interest and demanded that the government withdraw it.
After meeting representatives of electricity employees' organisations, Hooda said they had informed him that a separate agricultural distribution company (Agri-DISCOM) was being created for agricultural consumers from August 11. He alleged that the move was intended to benefit the private company. “This move ensures the private company avoids the obligation of supplying electricity to farmers, as the latter receive subsidies,” he pointed out.
Hooda claimed that Gurugram contributes nearly one-third of the total revenue of Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN). Handing over electricity distribution in the district to a private company, he alleged, would lead to a significant loss of revenue and weaken the financial position of the state-run utility.
“There is also a risk that instead of supplying electricity to all categories of consumers, private companies would focus solely on industrial zones, malls, commercial hubs, and urban areas, while neglecting rural households, farmers, and low-income consumers. The responsibility for supplying electricity to these neglected areas would remain with the DHBVN, a task that would be unfeasible without the corresponding revenue. In effect, a large population could face an energy crisis,” he added.
Hooda also expressed concern over the impact on employees of the power utilities. He alleged that increased private participation in power distribution could put the jobs of engineers and other electricity department employees at risk.
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