ISLAMABAD: Wapda workers here the other day held a mass protest and had sit-in in front of National Press Club (NPC) and marched to Parliament House against the privatisation.
The protest was held under the aegis of “All Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Workers Union CBA along with Engineers Association and was participated from all the provinces and federal capital. The protestors demanded to the government to accord high priority to raise cheaper electricity through hydel and coal fired thermal power stations costing Rs 1.50 and Rs 7 per unit respectively in comparison with high priced furnace oil thermal power stations costing Rs 18 to 30 per unit and not to privatise national public utility electricity since it is the constitutional obligation of the state to provide cheaper electricity to the people and the industry, commerce and agriculture of the country.
It was highlighted by the protestors that the experience of privatization had already miserably failed in Rawalpindi and Multan private companies since they were not been providing electricity even in those cities, therefore, those were handed over to WAPDA in 1981. It was also urged to the Government to learn from the bitter experience of the privatisation of Karachi Electric Supply which despite receiving cheaper Electricity @ 650 megawatts daily and receiving billions of rupees as subsidy from the government.
It had neither running its own thermal power plants nor overcome of load shedding and high cost of electricity which had also been acknowledged by federal minister water and power before senate committee of Pakistan. The workers along with the representatives of engineers association carrying banners and chanting slogan against privatization and the World Bank and IMF.
