Haryana power employees, farmers demand scrapping of HERC report on private license
Babushahi Bureau
Kurukshetra (Haryana), September 14, 2026: The Haryana Electricity Employees and Engineers Joint Struggle Front and the Joint Farmers Morcha have demanded that the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission (HERC) scrap the expert committee report recommending a parallel distribution licence for Eleven Power Private Limited in Gurugram and Nuh districts.
Front spokesperson Ravindra Ghanghas alleged that the report was prepared by retired officials who would not be accountable for its consequences. He termed the proposal an attempt to weaken state-owned power utilities and benefit private companies.
Ghanghas claimed there was no precedent elsewhere in India for granting such a “parallel licence” and warned that it could significantly reduce the revenue of the state-owned Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam Limited (DHBVNL), affecting its ability to provide electricity to farmers and common consumers at affordable rates.
Front leader Devendra Hooda warned that if HERC grants the distribution licence to the private company, electricity employees and engineers across Haryana would be forced to consider an indefinite strike.
Former front leader Sumit Dalal questioned the private company’s experience in the power sector, saying it operates a private hospital in Gurugram and has no prior experience in electricity distribution.
Questions raised over two-district licence
The organisations also questioned the proposed licence on regulatory grounds, claiming that distribution licensing regulations require coverage of at least three revenue districts.
They alleged that HERC was considering granting a licence covering only two districts to a company whose financial capability was also being questioned.
Ghanghas claimed that the company was incorporated in April 2026 with a paid-up capital of only ₹1 crore, while the Gurugram-Nuh region was generating around ₹750 crore in monthly revenue by June 2026.
He further alleged that the company had submitted solvency certificates from two different entities for the same share.
Farmers, consumers urged to oppose proposal
V K Gupta, media adviser to the All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF), appealed to farmer leaders, farmers’ organisations, khap panchayats, rural consumers, sarpanches, electricity consumers and public representatives to oppose the proposed parallel licence.
The organisations alleged that the proposed model could result in “cherry-picking” of high-value consumers, with private operators targeting around 15 per cent of lucrative consumers while leaving the remaining consumer base with DHBVNL.
They warned that this could put additional financial pressure on the state utility and affect subsidies available to agricultural and general consumers.
The power employees and farmers also expressed concerns over smart-metering, describing the proposed system as potentially leading to “prepaid extortion”, and warned of job losses in the state power sector.
They claimed that although tariffs offered by private operators could initially appear attractive, the long-term impact could resemble the decline of BSNL after the entry of private telecom companies.
The organisations said the issue affected not only electricity employees but also farmers and consumers and urged wider public opposition to the proposed parallel distribution licence.