U.P. power men warn of stir if meters installed in their houses

U.P. energy minister AK Sharma had on June 4 directed the UP Power Corporation Ltd to install meters in the power employees’ residences as per the provisions

Uttar Pradesh’s power employees have warned of hitting the streets in protest if any bid is made to deprive them of the facility of using electricity at a concessional tariff by installing meters in their houses.

A UPPCL official said the Electricity Act, 2003 that superseded all the previous Acts did not permit unmetered power to any consumers. (For Representation)

The warning comes a day after energy minister AK Sharma on Saturday directed the UP Power Corporation Ltd (UPPCL) to install meters in the power employees’ residences as per the provisions. Reacting sharply to the minister’s statement, UP Vidyut Karmchari Sanyukt Sangharsh Samiti in a statement here said the minister was not aware of the factual position.

“Power employees get the facility of using electricity at the discounted rate under the Electricity Reforms Act, 1999 and the Transfer Scheme, 2000,” Samiti spokesman said adding, “Any attempt to withdraw this facility will be violation of the law.”

The spokesman said the minister’s statement had created an atmosphere of unnecessary confusion. “All the power engineers, junior engineers and employees will be forced to begin a state-wide agitation if any bid was made to withdraw the concessional power facility,” he warned.

A UPPCL official, who did not wish to be identified, however, said the Electricity Act, 2003, that superseded all the previous Acts did not permit unmetered power to any consumers. “The power employees may still get electricity at a concessional tariff but they should first agree to installation of meters in their houses for the purpose of proper accounting of electricity they use,” he pointed out.