POLITICS OF ELECTRICITY SUPPLY TO AGRICULTURE 135


Box 10.1 The People’s Monitoring Group on Electricity Regulation (PMGER)


PMGER was formed in 1999 by a group of individuals and organizations that were concerned about growing momentum of power-sector reforms and privatization. According to its mission statement, PMGER aims at “increasing people’s participation in power sector reforms and regula- tion through different forms. This includes all those vulnerable sections who are normally outside the decision-making structures such as poor, disadvantaged, farmers, women and consumers.” The group’s strategy is to develop, analyze, and distribute information on different aspects of the power-reform agenda. In its own words, “PMGER hopes to reach out to as many people as possible, striving to reach the Mahatma Gandhi’s ‘last person.’” In fact, PMGER has been able to bring a wide spectrum of organizations together that do not necessarily collaborate. They include the Centre for Environment Concerns, an NGO working on development issues; the Prayas Energy Group, Pune; the Banjara Development Society, Hyderabad; the Andhra Pradesh State Electricity Board Engineer’s Association; the United Electricity Employees Union (with approximately 8,000 members); two farmers’ organizations (with approximately 200,000 members); and an organization of farm laborers (with approximately 500,000 members). PMGER uses the opportunities for participation created by APERC and aims at influencing electricity policies through other strategies, such as using the media and interact- ing with members of the State Legislative Assembly.


Sources: PMGER website (http://www.pmger.org), accessed December 18, 2009; interviews with PMGER members on September 3, 2006.


ing press statements and organizing meetings with members of the State Legislative Assembly. The group also works with farmers to educate them about ways to save energy.


Kheti Virasat Mission


Kheti Virasat Mission is an NGO that was established in 2005. It is run by a group of environmental and social activists and operates out of the Faridkot District in Punjab.1


1 See http://www.khetivirasatmission.org. Accessed November 28, 2009.


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