Several parts of Panchkula faced power cuts on Wednesday as Haryana power utility employees began a three-day strike against the privatisation of power distribution.
The strike, called by the Haryana Bijli Karamchari and Engineers Sanyukt Sangharsh Morcha from October 22 to 24, is opposing the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission’s (HERC) decision to grant a 25-year parallel power distribution licence to Eleven Power Private Limited, a private company, for Gurugram and Nuh revenue districts.
“It is unacceptable for people to remain without power for the whole day, and the onus is on the authorities to manage the situation. Eleven Power, chaired by Sunil Sachdeva, is the first private player to receive a parallel power distribution licence in Haryana. Power supply was disrupted in small pockets of sectors, including Sectors 7 and 15, while some transformers and substations continued to function normally, according to Citizen Welfare Association (CWA) president SK Nayar. Residents can contact the control room at 0172-2585777. Under Section 14 of the Electricity Act, 2003, the company plans to invest ₹ 4,716 crore over five years to develop a parallel distribution network, giving more than 8.3 lakh consumers the option to choose between the private company and state-run Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam.
With the protest set to continue for two more days, alternative arrangements must be made,” Nayar said.
Power cuts were reported between 10 am and 6 pm, although the impact varied across the city. Residents of some sectors, including Sector 2, said they remained largely unaffected. Sector 25 was among the worst-hit areas, with resident KR Kohli stating that the entire sector remained without electricity from morning until evening.
Residents also lodged complaints with the district administration. The disruption affected water supply as well, particularly in the morning.
