Story perspectives

Haryana electricity strike disrupts power across three districts

By Drooid · Oct 23, 2026, 4:15 AM UTC · How we work

Center

Mass worker strike

On October 21 2026 at 10 p.m., electricity department employees in Haryana began a three-day strike that cut power in Gurugram, Faridabad and Nuh districts.
The Haryana government said it will appeal the regulator’s licence grant to the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity.
Around 40,000 workers joined the strike, halting production at Gurugram, Kadipur and Basai factories.
Deputy Commissioner Uttam Singh met striking employees late Wednesday, but no settlement was reached.

Right

Electricity cost threat

On October 21 2026 at 10 p.m., electricity department employees in Haryana began a three-day strike that cut power in Gurugram, Faridabad and Nuh districts.
Unions warned that privatizing the grid could raise electricity costs for consumers, farmers and small businesses while endangering about 40,000 workers.
Residents blocked roads; police cleared traffic.
Power department logged over 3,000 complaints; factories in Daulatabad, Kadipur, Sector 37 halted production.

Blindspot

The Haryana government said it will appeal the regulator’s licence grant to the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity.
Residents blocked roads in protest, prompting police to clear traffic.
Within this story's sources, the appeal appears mainly in Center-leaning coverage and receives less attention in Right-leaning coverage, while road-block protests appear mainly in Right-leaning coverage and receive less attention in Center-leaning coverage.

History

Historical Context

The 2003 Electricity Act, passed by the Government of India under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, opened the power sector to private licensing. In 2005, the Maharashtra Electricity Board and its 30,000 workers staged a three-day strike that halted supply to Mumbai, costing roughly $200 million in industrial losses. Today's Haryana electricity employees, about 40,000 strong, are similarly protesting a state licence grant to private firms, fearing higher tariffs and job losses. If the appeal to the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity fails, the precedent set by the 2003 reforms may cement nationwide privatization, reshaping India's energy market for decades.

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Mass worker strike

On October 21 2026 at 10 p.m., electricity department employees in Haryana began a three-day strike that cut power in Gurugram, Faridabad and Nuh districts.
The Haryana government said it will appeal the regulator’s licence grant to the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity.
Around 40,000 workers joined the strike, halting production at Gurugram, Kadipur and Basai factories.
Deputy Commissioner Uttam Singh met striking employees late Wednesday, but no settlement was reached.

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