LUCKNOW Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) will now install prepaid power meters at all official residences of political leaders and officers as the state government colonies and departments have accumulated power dues of about Rs 13,000 crore over the years.
“Uttar Pradesh leaders and government officers don’t have a good record of paying power dues. Keeping this in view, a decision to install prepaid meters at government residences of leaders and officers has been taken,” said minister for energy Shrikant Sharma in a statement.
Sharma said an order to get 100,000 pre-paid meters has been given. “We will urge all these dignitaries to get prepaid metres installed at their residences,” said Sharma.
He said a sum of Rs 13,000 crore is due on all government departments and residential colonies. An option to pay the dues in instalments would be given to them, he said.
Meanwhile, in an obvious bid to check power theft at all levels, the state government has decided to set up 75 new police stations in Uttar Pradesh. Also, about 2050 new posts have been created for appointment in these police stations. The new posts include 75 inspectors, 375 sub-inspectors and 675 head constables etc. UPPCL will bear the burden of salaries and other expenditure at these 75 police stations of which 68 have already been opened.
It may be mentioned that the 15th Finance Commission had expressed concern over the state’s failure to bring down the line losses. Winding up its four-day visit early this month, commission chairman NK Singh had said that Ujjwal Discom Assurance Yojana (UDAY) had failed to achieve its objective and losses of power companies had gone up from Rs 12,000 crore to Rs 18,000 crore.
{{/usCountry}}It may be mentioned that the 15th Finance Commission had expressed concern over the state’s failure to bring down the line losses. Winding up its four-day visit early this month, commission chairman NK Singh had said that Ujjwal Discom Assurance Yojana (UDAY) had failed to achieve its objective and losses of power companies had gone up from Rs 12,000 crore to Rs 18,000 crore.
{{/usCountry}}The state government had assured the commission to bring down the line losses and achieve the objectives of UDAY, the scheme that was brought for revival of power sector companies.