Haryana’s two-day power strike was withdrawn on Friday after Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini ruled out privatisation of the state’s power sector and assured employee unions that the government would legally challenge a parallel electricity distribution licence for Gurgaon and Nuh.
The agreement followed a meeting between Saini, Energy Minister Anil Vij and representatives of power employee unions. Employees agreed to resume work immediately and restore services disrupted during the strike. The government also agreed to initiate action seeking a review of the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission’s order granting the licence.
“The Haryana govt is not in favour of privatisation in the power sector,” Saini said, adding that the state would pursue available legal and statutory remedies to protect consumers and power employees. He said the government would act within the legal framework to safeguard public interest and employee welfare.
The parallel distribution licence was granted to Eleven Power Private Limited for Gurgaon and Nuh for 25 years on October 19. The decision triggered protests among electricity employees, who argued that the entry of a private distributor could pave the way for wider privatisation and affect their service interests.
The government plans to invoke provisions of the Electricity Act, 2003, including Sections 108 and 94, as part of its effort to pursue the matter. Section 108 concerns state government policy directions to the regulator, while Section 94 sets out the commission’s powers in proceedings. The precise legal route will have to conform to the applicable statutory provisions.
Vij said the government had opposed the parallel licence from the beginning and had not invited applications from any private company. However, the Electricity Act permits companies to approach the regulator directly for a distribution licence. He said officials had been instructed to begin the agreed legal action without delay.
The dispute places Haryana’s electricity distribution framework at the centre of a conflict between regulatory licensing powers, state policy and the employment concerns of public-sector power workers. The immediate operational priority is to restore normal electricity supply in areas affected by the strike, while the legal challenge will determine how the licence is addressed.
Saini thanked employees for ending the agitation and said discussions on their remaining demands would continue. The next meeting between the government and employee representatives has been scheduled for November 3. The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi, Power Department Commissioner and Secretary Ashima Brar, Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam Managing Director Aditya Dahiya and other senior officials.
