Hisar: Residents in Haryana are facing day-long power cuts, disrupted water supplies and poor internet connections amid a three-day statewide strike by electricity employees’ unions over the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission’s (HERC) decision to grant a 25-year distribution licence granted to a private company, Eleven Power Private Limited, in Gurugram and Nuh.The strike, which began on Thursday (October 22), has been called in protest against the hand over of high-revenue industrial and commercial hubs in the state to a private firm, thus threatening backdoor privatisation, job insecurity, loss of cross-subsidies for farmers and poor households and undermining of state discoms.Widespread disruption to lifePower outages in several parts of the state, including Hisar, began late on Wednesday (October 21) night and have since persisted. Several households and businesses have reported failures of inverters due to continuous use, while those who cannot afford such technology have been battling the humid weather without any support.The outage has led to a concern not merely of the functioning of fans, air conditioners, coolers and refrigerators installed in homes, but also the impediment to daily life as people struggle to conserve whatever resources they can in the absence of regular water supply, wifi services or charging ports for devices.Even though localities have plenty of water stored in tanks, without electricity to operate the pumping system, the water is unable to reach taps. Furthermore, the outage is also impacting people who work remotely and rely on steady electricity supply.The issues with a private distribution licenseThe Haryana Electricity Employees and Engineers Joint Front called the strike in opposition to HERC’s October 19 announcement of granting Eleven Power Private Limited a license to distribute electricity in Gurugram and Nuh for 25 years.This is consequential as the change would allow more than 8.3 lakh electricity consumers in the two districts, including households, farmers, shops, offices and industrial plants, to choose between a private distributor and the existing state-owned distribution companies – Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) and Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN).Electricity employees fear the decision would undermine DHBVN by allowing a private operator to monopolise areas with the highest electricity consumption, inadvertently affecting the interests of those relying on the existing system.The move has also drawn condemnation from farmer bodies and opposition parties, who have highlighted the potential impact on power subsidies offered by the government. Till now, the state utilised profits from high-revenue urban and industrial zones to provide farmers and poor households with cross-subsidised and cheaper electricity. The private distribution license may lead to higher electricity costs and no guarantee of power subsidies by the state, which are integral to the survival and livelihoods of thousands of people.According to The Hindu, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) Haryana president Rattan Mann expressed his concerns over electricity subsidies not being protected and the rise in costs for industries and businesses in Gurugram and Manesar due to hiked electricity tariffs.Indian National Lok Dal patron Sampat Singh, meanwhile, argued that permission granted to two companies to distribute electricity in the same region could have unwanted implications for consumers as well as the public power sector.Chief minister asks unions to call off strikeThe statewide-strike has revealed people’s dependence on electricity to carry out day-to-day functions. Reacting to hordes of reports documenting the ill-effects of the prolonged power outage, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini implored with the electricity employees to withdraw their agitation. He reportedly also claimed that the state government stood with them in opposing the private distribution licence.As per The Hindu’s report, Saini assured that the government would challenge HERC’s decision before the appellate tribunal for electricity (APTEL) and offered to pursue the case with lawyers selected by the unions. Saini said the government remained open to dialogue.District administrations have been directed to monitor the situation and take the necessary steps to prevent excessive inconvenience to the public, especially with some of the year’s most widely-celebrated festivals around the corner. Saini also asked deputy commissioners to form district-level committees that would answer to a high-level committee headed by a chief secretary.Haryana Power Minister Anil Vij also said the government opposed the license granted to Eleven Power and that it would challenge the decision. He further clarified that the state had not called for applications for a private distribution licence and that HERC was an autonomous body empowered to consider applications under the law.#WATCH | Ambala, Haryana: On the electricity employees’ strike, Haryana Minister Anil Vij says, “This strike is unwarranted. The regulator has ordered that electricity be supplied to a private company. We strongly opposed the company’s application before the Haryana regulator, but the decision went against us. I am against privatisation because we have invested heavily in infrastructure and the services of our employees are at stake… The central law allows any individual or company to apply for electricity supply. We are appealing against the regulator’s order and trying to obtain a stay… I urge employee leaders to abandon the strike and instead help us prepare the case…”— ANI (@ANI) October 22, 2026Directives to protect essential servicesAs reported by The Indian Express, Gurugram deputy commissioner Uttam Singh, during a meeting with power department officials, ordered the revision of supply arrangements to combat the disruption.The officials were asked to prioritise electricity supply to essential services, including hospitals, water supply facilities and metro operations. A dedicated helpline for consumers seeking assistance with power-related complaints was notified: DHBVN’s toll-free numbers listed in the report are 1912 and 180010804334. WhatsApp complaint number (8813999708, 9540954768) have also been provided.