Lucknow: Strong protests erupted across Uttar Pradesh as electricity employees intensified their agitation against privatization, holding large demonstrations in Aligarh and Harduaganj under the banner of Vidyut Karamchari Sanyukt Sangharsh Samiti Uttar Pradesh.
Hundreds of power workers, engineers, and staff gathered at thermal power stations in Aligarh and Harduaganj as part of a statewide public awareness campaign. Similar protest meetings continued in other districts, reflecting widespread anger among employees over privatization plans and alleged harassment.
Leaders of the Sangharsh Samiti issued a stern warning, stating that if the process of privatizing operations and maintenance at the Panki and Jawaharpur thermal power plants is not immediately withdrawn, and if alleged punitive actions against employees are not halted, the agitation will be escalated across the state. They held the power corporation management responsible for any consequences arising from the intensification of the movement.
The committee accused senior management of the power corporation and energy department officials of deliberately pushing privatization while creating a hostile work environment for employees. According to them, such actions threaten industrial harmony and could adversely impact the state’s electricity system.
Raising concerns over the timing of the move, the employees pointed out that the protests come amid peak summer months, when electricity demand in the state is at its highest. They asserted that power workers remain committed to ensuring uninterrupted supply to consumers and farmers, but alleged that the administration’s approach is leading to unnecessary confrontation and risking disruptions.
Convener Shailendra Dubey announced that an emergency core committee meeting has been convened on April 26, 2026, to decide the future course of the agitation. The meeting will also issue a formal notice outlining the next phase of protests against the proposed 25-year privatization plan through a unified tender for key thermal plants.
The protest gatherings at Harduaganj and Aligarh were addressed by several leaders, including Sanjay Singh Chauhan, Jitendra Singh Gurjar, Mahendra Rai, Mohammad Wasim, and Rahul Babu Katiyar, who called for united resistance against privatization.
The Sangharsh Samiti reiterated that power employees will continue their आंदोलन (movement) until the privatization decision is revoked and alleged harassment of staff is brought to an end, asserting that they will not allow any compromise with the state’s electricity infrastructure in the name of reforms.
