Eventually, the apprehensions about the privatization of the power companies of the Employees’ Organizations turned out to be 100% correct. Adani Group has started privatization of power company in Madhya Pradesh by buying Government Power Transmission Company for Rs 1200 crore. Now instead of a government company, Adani Group’s private company ATL will handle the power transmission system, ie electricity supply, for 35 years.
There has been a protest against the handing over of the government company to private hands by the employees’ union and other unions related to the power company. Here the concerned departmental officers and ministers have been denying this time and again, while the Adani group has started preparations to handle the transmission system, that is, the power supply system, for 35 consecutive years from now. The government has issued permission to Adani Transmission Limited (ATL) company to acquire MP Power Transmission System. Till now the transmission system project in Madhya Pradesh including Indore was in the hands of government company REC, but now its work and control will be done by Adani Group.
Deal settled for Rs 1200 Cr
According to the high officials of West Zone Electricity Distribution Company, the ATL of Adani Group bought the MP Power Transmission Package-2 Limited Company of the Government of India for Rs 1200 crore through a tariff-based auction. has achieved. But in the matter of giving information about which and how many other companies participated in the auction, officials seem to be hesitant. The government has issued a takeover letter to Adani’s company.
Responsibility shifted from Gov. to Private
In Madhya Pradesh, the government seems to be advocating for privatization on the pretext of improving the transmission system, while till now the Power Minister of the Madhya Pradesh government has been categorically denied many times in the matter of privatization. Till now, the responsibility of laying and maintenance of power lines under the power transmission system was being done by a central government-run company. But now all the transmission-related work will be handled by businessman Gautam Adani’s ATL company.
Adani Winning the Bet
Adani Group had started preparations to buy the government power company related to the generation and transmission of electricity, about 2 years ago, in March 2020. When the Madhya Pradesh government had given permission to set up a power plant to generate 1320 MW of electricity, with the contract that it would give 4 rupees 79 paise per unit of electricity till 2026-27 after the power generation in the plant. After getting the green signal for the power generation project, Adani Group’s eyes were on the government company to supply the electricity in Madhya Pradesh. In the end, Adani won this second bet by buying a transmission company, apart from making electricity. Now the Adani group is putting the strings on the power distribution company, which provides electricity to all the small, medium, and large power consumers. If this happens, then the power system in Madhya Pradesh will be completely monopolized by the Adani group.
Adani owner for 35 years now
The Transmission System Project will now be owned by Gautam Adani for 35 years. The government is claiming to strengthen the power transmission system in Madhya Pradesh for Rs 1200 crore. Adani Group’s company ATL will get the right to build, own, operate, and maintain transmission projects for 35 years. Significantly, the transmission system project includes about 850 circle kilometers of transmission lines in 18 districts and several air-insulated substations of 220 kW and 132 kW capacity.
The sale of the government power transmission company to the Adani group, that is, the privatization of the power company has started. Several projects of transmission lines in Madhya Pradesh are being acquired by the Adani Group. The private company will charge arbitrary rent to earn more profit through power transmission, which will have a direct impact on the common consumers of electricity and electricity will be expensive. There will be a big movement against this by the electrical workers’ organizations.
