Protests have intensified across Uttar Pradesh against the proposed privatization of electricity distribution in Purvanchal and Dakshinanchal under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. On Thursday, awareness campaigns and demonstrations were held at various electricity offices statewide, with employees voicing strong opposition to this move.

The Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) has announced plans to divide Purvanchal and Dakshinanchal into five sections and hand them over to private entities, a decision that has caused widespread unrest among electricity employees and engineers. In Lucknow, protests were staged at several offices, including the Hydel Colony, where employees were joined by their families in condemning the privatization decision. Officials from the Engineers' Association were also present to support the cause.

In response to this, December 13 has been declared as "Anti-Privatization Day." The United Electricity Employees' Struggle Committee has called for peaceful assemblies across districts, projects, and the state capital after office hours. The committee accused UPPCL management of disrupting industrial harmony by pushing for unnecessary privatization, despite the employees’ consistent efforts to improve electricity services.

Committee leaders such as Rajeev Singh, Jitendra Singh Gurjar, Girish Pandey, Mahendra Rai, Suhail Abid, P.K. Dixit, and Rajendra Ghildiyal expressed concerns over the management’s decision. They noted that under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s leadership, significant progress has been made in the power sector. However, the sudden announcement to privatize electricity distribution in 42 districts has led to widespread discontent among employees.

The employees argue that public sector corporations are performing better than private entities. For example, the Dakshinanchal Electricity Distribution Corporation generates ?4.47 per unit, while Torrent Power in Agra yields only ?4.36 per unit. Despite this, the UPPCL management is pushing for privatization, which they believe will negatively impact both the Corporation and consumers.

The protesting employees continue to work diligently to ensure uninterrupted electricity services while raising awareness about the drawbacks of privatization. They emphasize that their protests are peaceful and held outside office hours to avoid any disruption to electricity services for consumers.

This growing movement highlights the employees’ commitment to safeguarding the public sector’s efficiency and accountability in Uttar Pradesh’s power sector.