Fri Jan 17 17:49:12 UTC 2025: ## Hundreds of Contractual Workers Protest Electricity Privatisation in Uttar Pradesh
**Lucknow, January 18, 2025** – Hundreds of contractual workers from Uttar Pradesh’s electricity department staged a sit-in protest outside the Madhyanchal Vidyut Vitaran Nigam headquarters in Lucknow on Friday. The protestors, who are members of the U.P. Power Corporation Workers Union, are demanding better pay, regularization of their employment status, and the rollback of the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2022.
Their demonstration follows the Uttar Pradesh government’s plans to form Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) for its loss-making electricity distribution companies (discoms). This move has sparked fears among employees about job security and potential layoffs. Protestors claim that many contractual workers are already being laid off, threatening the stability of the electricity department. Surendra Pandey, a protesting worker, warned that the protests would escalate if their demands are not met.
The government recently tendered for consultants to develop a PPP model for two discoms, Dakshinanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited (DVVNL) and Purvanchal Vidyut Vitaran Nigam Limited (PVVNL), in an attempt to improve efficiency and service quality. However, this initiative has been met with strong resistance from workers concerned about the implications of privatization.
First Piper 