Energy minister AK Sharma has directed the UP Power Corporation Ltd (UPPCL) management to start installing meters in the residences of power personnel, ensuring that all power officials, employees and pensioners consume electricity as per the provisions.
Along with chief secretary Durga Shankar Mishra, he was reviewing efforts being made to improve power supply and enhance revenue collection in a meeting with energy department officials and managing directors of discoms (distribution companies), at Shakti Bhawan, on Saturday.
The minister said that the Electricity Act, 2003, did not permit unmetered power to any class of consumers and questioned why power department personnel in the state did not have energy meters at their residences.
He further said that while performing officials should be rewarded and honoured, those found lax in duty and indulging in corruption must be punished. He ordered tough action against the mafia active in the energy department.
The minister asked officials to think of using more and more technology to resolve grievances of consumers and improve power supply. He suggested techniques being used by other states to reduce losses and improve power supply.
Stating that burning of transformers was a big problem in the state, Sharma directed officials to fix accountability of the officials concerned in each case. He said the capacity of overloaded transformers should be increased. “All discoms must ensure compliance of directions in this regard,” he stressed.
{{/usCountry}}Stating that burning of transformers was a big problem in the state, Sharma directed officials to fix accountability of the officials concerned in each case. He said the capacity of overloaded transformers should be increased. “All discoms must ensure compliance of directions in this regard,” he stressed.
{{/usCountry}}Coming to the issue of revenue collection, the minister asked officials to pay special attention to the fact that full revenue should be realised against the cost spent on supplying power to consumers. He ordered preventive maintenance and regular monitoring up to the transformer level. He said consumers must get correct bills on time and no unnecessary delay be made in sanctioning and issuing new power connections.
Laying emphasis on the need for making the power sector sustainable to be able to provide 24x7 power to all consumers, the chief secretary asked officials to ensure all consumers had valid electricity connections with working meters.
He said the number of formal power connections was quite low considering the state’s population. He directed officials to make an action plan to increase the number of electricity connections apart from simplifying the procedure.
Addressing the meeting principal secretary, energy and UPPCL chairman, M Devraj, said the department was strictly working on the policy of ‘zero tolerance’ on corruption and a number of corrupt engineers and employees had been penalised recently. He said the corporation was making all possible efforts to improve the state of affairs in the sector.