Powermen oppose Adani Power's bid for licence in Noida, Greater Noida

All power engineers federation (AIPEF) on Wednesday said it will oppose any government's move in Uttar Pradesh to issue electricity distribution license to private companies in Noida and Greater Noida.

In a statement, AIPEF Chairman Shailendra Dubey said, "Adani Power's company Adani Jewar Electrical Company Limited has recently applied to the Electricity Regulatory Commission of Uttar Pradesh for obtaining a parallel license for the distribution of electricity in Noida and Greater Noida".

AIPEF members will strongly oppose if an attempt is made to give an electricity distribution license to any private company in Noida and Greater Noida or any other place under the jurisdiction of Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL), he added.

Recently, unions of three state-owned power companies in Maharashtra went on a 72-hour strike in protest against a similar move of the government there, Dubey said, adding Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also holds the energy portfolio, held a meeting with trade union representatives and informed that the state government had no intention to privatise any state-owned power utilities.

"Adani Group has applied for a parallel license in Navi Mumbai and Torrent Power in Pune and Nagpur in Maharashtra," he said.

He said that according to the Electricity Act 2003, the basic condition for obtaining a parallel license for the distribution of electricity is that the private company should have its own substations and network of lines in the area in which it has sought the license.

It is notable that the entire network of power distribution in Noida is with the Paschimanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam and Adani Group has no network there, the leader said.

The members demand that like the Maharashtra government, the Uttar Pradesh government must also assure of not privatising any of the state distribution utilities, Dubey said.