HPSEB Employees Protest Against Privatization of Chandigarh Power Department

Shimla, December 31, 2024: In protest against the central government’s decision to privatize the Chandigarh Power Department, employees and engineers of the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board (HPSEB) staged a symbolic one-hour strike today. The Joint Front, under the National Coordination Committee of Electricity Employees and Engineers (NCCOEEE), expressed concerns that the privatization would affect neighboring states and impact Himachal Pradesh’s industrial sector.

The employees also voiced their dissatisfaction with the government’s failure to reinstate the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) and the decision to terminate positions of outsourced drivers and engineers. They warned of a larger protest after the winter season, demanding the protection of the electricity sector from privatization and the implementation of OPS.