Chandigarh, 24 December 2024: The UT administration has pushed the deadline to transfer its power assets to a Kolkata-based private company, RP-Sanjiv Goenka (RPSG) Group, to February next year. Initially set for December 31, the extension accounts for the extensive documentation and procedures required to finalize the process.
“We are hopeful of completing the transfer by the first week of February,” a senior UT official said.
The administration had initiated the privatisation process on November 9, 2020, with the RPSG Group emerging as the highest bidder at ₹871 crore. However, the handover faced significant delays as employees of the electricity department challenged the move in court. After the Punjab and Haryana High Court dismissed the employees’ petition on November 7, they escalated the matter to the Supreme Court, where their plea was also rejected, clearing the way for the transfer.
Protests by electricity department employees have been ongoing since November 7. Opposition parties, including the Congress, have shown solidarity, with Congress activists launching a seven-day chain hunger strike on December 18 to oppose privatisation.
Responding to the controversy, RPSG Group issued a press release addressing key concerns. The company denied allegations that it would raise electricity prices or lay off employees. It also dismissed claims that a profitable public department was being handed to private entities.
The privatisation, a first for the UT’s power department, has sparked intense debate, with employees and political parties raising questions about its long-term impact on services, jobs, and consumers.