Thousands of employees of electric supply companies staged demonstrations against privatization of the Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco) and appointment of private chief executives in electric supply companies on Tuesday.
The government has planned to privatise power companies, but no notification has been issued to the companies.
Angry employees held protests in Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan and Rawalpindi raising dissatisfaction regarding the privatization of Pepco.
They chanted slogans and demanded the decision to be withdrawn immediately.
Protesters said that privatization will not only lead to the unemployment of thousands of workers in electric supply companies but will also allow an unchecked hike in power prices.
Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) employees staged a rally in Lahore from Alhamra Hall to Wapda House warning that if privitization is not withdrawn, the power supply to all government departments including parliament will be suspended.
They said that privatization of the Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) has failed and a lesson should be learned from it.
COMMENTS (6)
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AoA,
Why we can't have newclear powar 400%?
Then we can dissolve all Kesco Pesco & Bhainsco.
Our tallel-deepel-sweetel-strongel fiends (china) can help uj.
Pervez Musharraf was right in privatizing corrupt public entities. Look at the classic example the privatization of steel mills. Our Supreme Court judges prevented the privatization of steel mills on the pretext of corruption in the respective deal. Had the steel mill been privatized at the right time, we would have saved almost 45 billion Rupees which were later injected to bail out that corrupt organization. Foreign investors from KSA and Russia would have invested 3 billion dollars to almost triple its productive capacity and paid the government billions in the purchase deal and later in taxes. Tens of billions of Rupees were wasted on that corrupt organization. When we discourage foreign investors from investing in Pakistan, who would come here to risk their precious capital?
State owned corporations (PIA, Steel Mills, Pak Railway, Pepco etc) are wasting tax-payers 300 billion rupees each year. White elephants are being raised on our hard-earned money. I am working hard for 10 hours 6 days a week in a private bank to make Rs 30,000 per month. So why should i be taxed in excess of what is reasonable to pay for an officer in PIA who draws Rs 450,000, enjoys job security and life-time pension and who does nothing and is burden on PIA? Wake up Pakistanis. Corrupt and inept officials are being raised on your hard earned money.
Interestingly the two core fundamentals of the O&M contract (not privatization) are:
No retrenchment of staff Fixed TariffThis is no protest for reason, this is politics.
Are they afraid of working 40 hours per week? or afraid of being identified as getting salaries without any tangible work. Private management will surely improve efficiency and productivity of the organizations only, if people of repute and credibility are given top management slots.
so they are afraid of private management as they will work professionally, efficiently while ensuring proper systems and procedures. In my opinion, the workers are either inept or afraid of full time duty?