Gurugram, Faridabad Plunge Into Darkness As Haryana Power Workers Strike Against Privatisation

New Delhi: Large parts of Haryana's Gurugram and Faridabad districts have been hit by prolonged power outages after electricity employees of Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) launched a strike against the entry of a private electricity distribution company in the state. The disruption has affected households, industrial units and water supply, while residents have taken to the streets demanding the immediate restoration of electricity.

The strike began at 10 pm on Wednesday, October 21, and is scheduled to continue until October 24. The agitation has also affected Nuh and several other districts, with electricity-related complaints mounting as repair and restoration work faces disruption.

According to officials, the power department received around 3,000 complaints within the first 12 hours of the strike. Prolonged outages have left several residential areas without electricity, while industrial establishments have reported interruptions to production and business operations.

Residents Protest As Power Cuts Disrupt Daily Life

In Gurugram, residents in several areas have faced extended blackouts, with households increasingly dependent on backup arrangements as inverter batteries run out. The disruption has also affected water supply in residential neighbourhoods that rely on electric pumps.

In Bhimgarh Kheri, residents reportedly blocked the Daulatabad Flyover after remaining without electricity since Wednesday night. Locals said repeated attempts to contact electricity department officials did not yield a response. They demanded that power supply be restored before they vacated the road.

Police personnel reached the spot following the blockade and intervened to disperse the protesters and clear traffic.

Faridabad has also witnessed protests over the prolonged outages. Residents in the New Industrial Township-2 area took to the streets, demanding the restoration of electricity. The power cuts also affected water supply, adding to the difficulties faced by households.

The disruption has extended beyond residential areas, with industrial units reporting interruptions to their operations. Businesses have raised concerns over production losses, delays in the movement of finished goods and the impact on supply schedules if the outages continue.

Why Are Haryana's Electricity Employees On Strike?

The central issue behind the agitation is the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission's (HERC) decision on October 19 to grant Eleven Power Private Limited a 25-year parallel electricity distribution licence for Gurugram and Nuh.

The licence would allow the private company to establish a distribution network and supply electricity alongside the state-owned DHBVN, subject to the applicable regulatory and implementation requirements.

Electricity employees and engineers have opposed the decision, arguing that allowing a private operator to enter the distribution sector amounts to indirect privatisation. They have expressed concerns that private companies could prioritise high-revenue industrial and commercial consumers, potentially weakening the public-sector distribution utility and affecting its ability to serve less profitable areas.

The unions have also raised concerns about the future of employees and the wider implications of parallel distribution licensing for consumers, farmers and the state's electricity network.

The agitation has been called by electricity employee and engineer organisations under the Haryana Electricity Employees and Engineers Joint Struggle Front. The strike is intended to pressure the authorities to reconsider the licence granted to Eleven Power.

Government To Challenge HERC Order

The Haryana government has said it will challenge HERC's decision before the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity (APTEL) and seek a stay on the implementation of the licence.

Energy Minister Anil Vij said the government would pursue legal remedies against the order, maintaining that it had opposed the decision before the regulator. The government has also indicated that it is willing to engage lawyers chosen by employee unions to contest the matter.

Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has appealed to electricity employees to reconsider their strike, assuring them that the government supports their concerns and will challenge the licence decision. However, discussions between Gurugram Deputy Commissioner Uttam Singh and the striking employees failed to produce an agreement to end the agitation.

The government has taken steps to maintain essential services during the strike, including restricting leave for electricity department personnel.

With the strike scheduled to continue until October 24, residents and businesses across the affected districts face the prospect of further disruption. The immediate challenge for the administration remains restoring electricity supply and addressing complaints while the dispute over the private distribution licence proceeds through the legal process.

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