Power supply disruptions affected several parts of Gurugram on Thursday as electricity employees launched a statewide strike against the proposed privatisation of power distribution in Haryana. Residential neighbourhoods reported outages, while industrial areas also faced interruptions, raising concerns about the impact on businesses and daily life.

The disruptions were reported in several residential sectors, with some residents taking to the streets amid the outages. Industrial hubs, including Daulatabad, Kadipur and Sector 37, were also affected, prompting concerns over production and commercial activity in Gurugram, one of Haryana’s key economic centres.

The strike, scheduled from October 22 to 24, follows the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission’s decision to grant Eleven Power a 25-year licence to distribute electricity in Gurugram and Nuh. The licence would allow the private company to operate alongside the state’s existing distribution utility.

Unions Warn of Risks to Public Electricity Infrastructure

Electricity employees’ unions have opposed the decision, arguing that opening distribution to a private operator would harm workers’ interests and undermine public utilities.

The unions have expressed concern that allowing a private company to operate in high-revenue areas could weaken Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN), the state-run distribution company. They have also questioned the prospect of privately operating electricity infrastructure built with public resources.

The employees’ joint forum called the statewide strike to press its opposition to the regulatory decision. It has warned that the proposed arrangement could threaten the livelihoods of approximately 40,000 regular, contractual and outsourced employees and engineers.

Consumers, Farmers and Small Businesses at Centre of Dispute

The unions have also raised concerns about the potential consequences for electricity consumers, claiming that privatisation could lead to higher costs for households, farmers and small businesses.

Another key objection concerns the financial viability of electricity distribution in rural and agricultural areas. According to the unions, private operators could prioritise profitable urban markets, leaving state-run utilities to bear a greater share of the costs associated with supplying rural and agricultural consumers.

With the strike under way, the power disruptions in Gurugram have brought the dispute over Haryana’s proposed distribution model into sharper focus. The unions are demanding a reversal of the decision to grant Eleven Power the parallel distribution licence.