The reforms in the power sector had led to scrapping of power boards in states and in its place state-owned power companies came into being involved in regular transmission and distribution of power, party sources said.
The CPI state executive committee meeting here on Monday slammed the Centre for effecting reforms in the power sector as part of economic reforms and liberalisation policy and treating it like any other industry and allowing private sector to set up power plants.
The reforms in the power sector had led to scrapping of power boards in the states except Jharkhand and Bihar and in its place state-owned power companies came into being which are involved in regular transmission and distribution of power, party sources said.
The central power policy which provided for power at concessional rates to the poor in rural areas and farmers may be scrapped under the new Electricity Act enacted in 2003, the meeting apprehended.
These policy decisions in the power sector over the years were threatening to make power a consumer product like any other and CPI was vehemently opposed to it, speakers at the meeting, which was presided over by the party national council member UN Mishra, said.
Flaying Bihar government's power policies which propose to do away with power supply at concessional rates to the poor and farmers and restructure the state-owned Bihar State Electricity Board(BESB) into five companies as anti-people, Mishra said the party will observe a protest day on April 13 against it.
The policies were 'anti-people' and the proposal to restructure BSEB into five companies would jeopardize the job security of thousands of power workers, he said.
On April 13 protesters comprising the people, consumers and farmers will burn the effigies of the state government and the BSEB, Mishra said.
The CPI leadership also decided to support 'Patna bandh' called by a power consumers forum on April 12 to protest against frequent increase in power and fuel surcharge, the sources added.
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