- By Yashashvi Tak
- Tue, 09 Dec 2025 12:32 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Farmers under the banner of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Monday staged statewide protests across Punjab against the Centre's draft Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2025, and the draft Seed Bill, 2025, demanding their withdrawal. Demonstrators also gathered outside the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited’s (PSPCL) Sunder Nagar and Janata Nagar division offices on Gill Road.
The protests, called by the SKM, were joined by employees’ unions of the state power utility, who opposed the proposed electricity amendment bill, the privatisation of the power sector, and the implementation of the four new labour codes.
The demonstrators, led by the PSEB Employees Federation (AITUC), the Powercom and Transco Contract Workers’ Union, and the Moulder and Steel Workers’ Union, burnt copies of the electricity amendment bill and labour codes, alleging that both the Centre and state governments were advancing “anti-people and anti-worker” policies.
Reasion Behind Protests
Union leaders Surjit Singh and Harjinder Singh said the protest was held following a call by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha and several Powercom employees’ organisations against the “complete privatisation” of the electricity board and the sale of public assets to private companies. They warned that the implementation of the electricity bill would end free and subsidised power for poor households, increase tariffs for small industries and commercial users, and deepen the hardships faced by farmers and industrial workers.
They further alleged that smart meter installation and the sale of government land were part of a broader privatisation drive designed to benefit private corporations over public welfare. The leaders also criticised the four labour codes, claiming they would dismantle long-standing labour rights related to job security, the eight-hour workday, living wages, workplace safety, pensions and trade union protections.
About Electricity Amendment Bill 2025
1. The Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2025 aims to reform India’s power sector by introducing more competition and improving overall efficiency.
2. It proposes allowing multiple distribution companies (DISCOMs) in the same area, giving consumers greater choice.
3. The bill mandates cost-reflective tariffs and replaces hidden cross-subsidies with transparent direct subsidies.
4. It retains essential protections for farmers and economically weaker consumers to ensure affordability.
5. The amendment seeks to modernise the Electricity Act, 2003, strengthen grid reliability, attract investment, and improve coordination between the Centre and States.
