CHANDIGARH:Northern India Power Engineers Federation (NIPEF )
has demanded an extension of six months period
for submission of its comments on the draft National Electricity Policy (NEP)
2021.
K D Bansal Chairman NIPEF said that the power ministry put the draft electricity policy on the Website and comments from the stakeholders have been invited
by May 25.
Bansal said that the state power engineers association of
Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pardesh, Uttrakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and J & K
have also written to the to R K Singh Union Power Minister that under the
present circumstances of the pandemic, they are not in a position
to study and discuss the draft Policy in detail and also to obtain feedback from the
consumers and other stakeholders. They are involved in the maintenance of transmission and distribution system for the peak power demand in summer during paddy season under pandemic conditions.
V K Gupta a spokesperson of All India Power Engineers Federation said that more than 600 power sector employees are suffering from coronavirus and more than 200 employees have died in northern states. .In Uttar Pradesh, more than 4000 power sector employees are suffering from coronavirus and there are 140 casualties. In the list of casualties, there are at least
three chief engineers 2 from Uttar Pradesh and 1 from Haryana, more than two dozen superintending engineers including 9 from Uttar Pradesh.
In Haryana, 20 employees of Nigams have died and 900 employees are affected by a coronavirus. In Punjab, 700 employees are bedridden with corona
and there are about 20 casualties.
AIPEF has urged all the chief ministers to urgently direct the state health authorities to treat power sector employees as frontline workers and mass vaccination camps be held to cover the electricity personnel on top priority.