Power minister’s stress on improving work culture in electricity department

Employees of the power department need to have better approach to work and better behaviour towards the consumers while ensuring dedication to work. The need of the hour is decentralized system of working for required improvement in services provided by the electricity department, said the minister..

Agra Uttar Pradesh energyminister of Uttar Pradesh AK Sharma has instructed electricity department officials to improve power supply in these humid days. He has also stressed on complete billing and delivery to the consumer in time.

The department should not hesitate in ensuring tough measures to check power theft and the ‘big players’ should be marked and tackled, the minister said. (Pic for representation)

Sharma held a meeting with power department officials in Lucknow on Saturday and laid stress on improving work culture in electricity department. The meet was attended by managing director of Dakshinanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited (DVVNL) from Agra.

“Employees of the power department need to have better approach to work and better behaviour towards the consumers while ensuring dedication to work. The need of the hour is decentralized system of working for required improvement in services provided by the electricity department, ” said the minister..

“We are here to provide smooth power supply to the consumer and need to understand their feelings and issues faced by them. We need to be tough in realization of revenue but before going for disconnection, proper intimation to the defaulter should be ensured,” said Sharma.

“Officials should focus on recovery from major defaulters for which public announcements be made besides calling them at night to remind about amount pending. Further, campaigns should be launched to prevent power theft, he said, directing director general (vigilance) for action against those not paying electricity bills.

“The department should not hesitate in ensuring tough measures to check power theft and the ‘big players’ should be marked and tackled. For proper realization of electricity dues, timely delivery of bills is essential,” he said.

The energy minister asked the billing agencies to speed up the process in light of recent complaint by district magistrate of Siddharth Nagar about low billing. He also favoured provision of payment of bill on the basis of photo electricity meter taken to payment centre by consumers in case they did not receive bill.

“We need to ensure efficiency and strict compliance with norms while having shut down, disconnection and restoration of electricity lines to rule out any loss of life. Proper alarm system should be in place and it would be better if a specific time interval is assigned for shut down and restoration for maintenance so that minimum hardship is caused to consumers,” said.

“We need to have quality methods to address complaints made by power consumer so that they get timely redressal,” added the minister.