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Energy minister announces OTS scheme for power consumers
The UP Power Corporation Ltd (UPPCL), according to him, will implement the scheme in three phases for 54 days from November 8 to December 31.
Energy minister AK Sharma on Saturday announced launch of a one-time settlement scheme (OTS)—almost an annual feature, to enable power consumers in Uttar Pradesh to clear their arrears without having to pay the surcharge (interest) payable on the principal amount.
The UP Power Corporation Ltd (UPPCL), according to him, will implement the scheme in three phases for 54 days from November 8 to December 31. The first phase of the scheme will be from November 8 to December 1, second from December 1 to December15 and the thirds and final from December 16 to December 31.
“Under the scheme, surcharge up to 100% will be waived off on payment of power dues by domestic, agricultural, commercial, industrial and private institutions on paying the principal amount at one go or in installments,” the minister announced in a press conference here.
He said consumers charged with theft of electricity would also get rebate on payment of summon/compounding charges levied on them as a penalty.
As per the OTS, 100% surcharge will be waived off for consumers up to 1 kw load in the first and the second phase of the scheme and 80% in the third phase. Similarly, such consumers opting for paying their dues in 12 installments will be eligible for 90% surcharge waiver in the first and second phases and 70% in the third phase.
Consumers with the connection load above 1 kw will be eligible for 90% surcharge waiver if they cleared dues in one go in the first phase, 80% in the second phase and 90% in the third phase.
“The surcharges waiver will be applicable on all the dues till March 31, 2023 in case of agricultural consumers (private tubewells) while the same in the case of all other consumers will be available on all the dues till October 31, 2023,” Sharma said.
The minister said he had directed officials to make a wider publicity of the scheme. “I also appeal to consumers to avail themselves of the scheme and clear their dues,” he said.
The UPPCL brings the OTS every year in a desperate attempt to recover its dues as much as possible. The corporation is believed to have more than ₹30K crore dues pending against consumers in the state.
