Hyderabad: Power engineers’ body All India Power Engineers’ Federation (AIPEF) on Sunday, August 16, vowed to resist moves towards power privatisation and protect public-sector utilities.

Speaking on the Federation’s 54th Foundation Day, chairman Shailendra Dubey and secretary‑general P. Ratnakar Rao urged engineers to oppose attempts to weaken the public character of the power infrastructure.

They said that India needs consumer‑centric reforms tailored to local realities, not privatisation of public assets under the guise of reform.

AIPEF leaders argued that India’s transmission and distribution infrastructure has been developed over decades through public investment, government funding and consumer contributions and should therefore be regarded as a national asset rather than a vehicle for private profit.

They cautioned that permitting private companies to serve only high-revenue industrial and commercial consumers could leave public-sector DISCOMs responsible for less profitable segments such as agriculture, rural households and subsidised users, undermining their financial sustainability over time.

The Federation also showed concern over private control of renewable energy generation. It was crucial to strengthen state and Central utilities instead of transferring assets, it said.