EEFI salutes Haryana power employees’ historic strike

The Electricity Employees’ Federation of India (EEFI) congratulates the power employees and engineers of Haryana, who have launched a continuous three-day statewide strike from 10 pm on 21 October to 24 October under the banner of the Haryana Electricity Employees and Engineers Joint Struggle Front. They are protesting the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission’s (HERC) order of 19 October 2026 granting Eleven Power Private Limited a 25-year parallel distribution licence for Gurugram and Nuh, the first such licence in Haryana and in the country. They demand its immediate cancellation and a firm state policy against parallel licensing.

The licence covers over 8.3 lakh consumers, yet the company was incorporated only in June 2025, and objectors pointed out its paid-up capital of just Rs 1 crore. Overriding the objections of the state’s own utilities, farmers and employees, HERC has granted the licence while leaving the migration framework and stranded costs to be settled later. Private operators will target consumers with greater paying capacity, diverting a disproportionate share of revenue from public utilities and weakening their ability to serve farmers and poorer consumers. Profits will be privatised, while the burden of universal electricity supply will fall on public utilities. This is a calculated assault on public electricity distribution and a dangerous step towards privatisation.

The scale of the strike: on the first day itself, the strike has become havoc. Around 55,000 employees and engineers are on strike. Participation has exceeded 90 per cent in total, in Dakshin and Uttar Haryana DISCOM. In Dakshin Haryana’s Bidyut Vitaran Nigam’s operation wing, participation stands at 95.76 per cent in the Delhi Circle and 90.25 per cent in the Hisar Circle, with Gurugram-2, Narnaul, Rewari and Hisar reporting 100 per cent participation. The entire City Sub-Division staff in Panchkula is on strike. Offices are shut and electricity supply is reported to be affected across the state, while employees continue to protect hospital supplies. The deployment of 6,230 police personnel exposes the government’s attempt to suppress a legitimate workers’ struggle through force rather than address their demands.

The Haryana government’s claim that it opposed the licence and will appeal to APTEL is not enough. Filing an appeal cannot become an excuse for inaction. HERC’s regulatory autonomy is no alibi for the government’s failure to act. Section 108 of the Electricity Act, 2003, empowers the state government to issue policy directions to the Commission on matters involving public interest.

EEFI demands a written policy direction under Section 108 against parallel licensing, all legally permissible steps to cancel the licence, withholding of right-of-way permissions and clearances wherever legally justified, and unconditional talks with the Joint Struggle Front.

EEFI strongly warns the BJP-led governments of Haryana and the Centre against any attempt to crush the strike through ESMA, FIRs, suspensions, arrests or victimisation. Any such action will bring electricity employees across the country into the struggle. The fight in Haryana is not merely against one licence; it is a fight to defend public electricity distribution, affordable power for ordinary consumers, and the interests of farmers and poorer sections against corporate profiteering.

EEFI calls upon all its constituent organisations in every state to organise solidarity actions in support of the ongoing strike of Haryana power employees and engineers.

This disastrous policy will not be allowed to advance even an inch. Long live the unity of electricity employees. Cancel the parallel distribution licence. Down with privatisation.