Struggle Committee to intensify stir against privatisation of Sri Damodaram Sanjeevaiah Thermal Power Plant in Andhra Pradesh

Tenders for privatisation of O&M services of the plant will be opened on November 22

The Struggle Committee formed against the privatisation of Sri Damodaram Sanjeevaiah Thermal Power Plant (SDSTPS) has decided to intensify agitation against the government’s decision to hand over the Operation and Maintenance (O&M) of the plant to a private player.

Members of the Committee backed by the opposition parties has decided to organise massive protests on November 22 from when the Andhra Pradesh Power Development Company Limited (APPDCL) has called for bids from prospective private buyers to carryout the O&M services including fuel management for 3x 800 MW of SDSTPS as the Request for Proposal documents would be made available by the APGENCO from that date.

‘’We will not rest till the privatisation of the State-owned thermal power plant is shelved,” said Telugu Desam Party Polit Bureau member Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy while briefing the media on the deliberations of the Struggle Committee meeting on on November 17 (Thursday).

People of the State should extend support to the ongoing stir as privatisation of the power plant of the Andhra Pradesh Generation Corporation (APGENCO) would lead to hefty hike in power tariff, said committee convenor M. Mohan Rao.

The committee also demanded regularisation of services of 500 contract workers who were given jobs as part of the relief and rehabilitation package. It noted that the services of 39 workers from the neighbouring YSR Kadapa district had been regularised, while the other contract workers were staring at a bleak future as the O&M activities was all set to go into the hands of private players, the committee members said.