Congress Campaign Committee Chairman Opposes Electricity Department Privatization in A&N Islands  

Tarun Karthick

Sri Vijaya Puram, 25 January 2025

The Chairman of the Congress Campaign Committee for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Mr. TSG Bhasker, has expressed robust opposition to the latest transfer by the A&N Administration to denationalise the Electricity Department. The concern arises following the tender floated by the Administration (Tender Ref. No. M-17051/1/1/2022-EE (NRSE) dated October 24, 2024) for the sale of 100% shares of the division.  

In letters addressed to the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Power Minister, and Local Administration, Mr. Bhasker denounced the Central Government’s resolution to denationalise a important public utility, stating that it might prioritize company earnings over the welfare of the residents.  

“Privatizing essential services like electricity will only burden the people with higher tariffs,” Mr. Bhasker acknowledged. “Instead of catering to private entities like Adani and Ambani, the government should focus on ensuring public control of such vital services to improve the lives of common citizens.”  

Highlighting the adversarial results on staff, Mr. Bhasker identified that the livelihoods of presidency staff within the electrical energy division are in danger. “These employees have contributed years to building and maintaining the islands’ power infrastructure. Privatization not only threatens their job security but also risks disrupting the efficiency of the electricity system,” he remarked.  

Additionally, Mr. Bhasker criticized the dearth of transparency within the privatization course of. He cited the excessive price of accessing the Request for Proposal (RFP) paperwork, priced at Rs. 5.9 lakh, which he claimed made scrutiny inaccessible to most people. Furthermore, he raised considerations in regards to the Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) of Rs. 23 crore, suggesting an approximate challenge valuation of Rs. 1,150 crore, however mentioned that essential particulars stay undisclosed.  

He additionally identified inconsistencies within the tender, together with a mismatch between the 180-day bid validity and a 30-day work interval, calling it “a cause for confusion.”  

Urging the Central Government to withdraw the privatization plan, Mr. Bhasker emphasised the Congress Party’s resolve to oppose any such transfer. “The Congress Party will continue to resist this attempt to privatize the electricity department. If necessary, we will stage mass demonstrations to protect the rights and interests of the Islanders,” he asserted.  

The privatization proposal has sparked debate within the Union Territory, with stakeholders demanding readability and transparency within the administration’s method to dealing with important public providers.