The Uttar Pradesh Vidyut Karmchari Sanyukt Sangharsh Samiti on Tuesday called for a white paper on the privatisation of power distribution in Agra and Greater Noida before any further steps are taken. The employees’ body argued that privatisation has been a failure nationwide and has adversely impacted U.P.
Shailendra Dubey, Samiti convenor, pointed to financial losses, stating that in 2023-24, the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) purchased electricity at ₹5.55 per unit but sold it to Agra’s private distributor, Torrent Power, at ₹4.36 per unit—resulting in a ₹275 crore loss that year alone.
“Over the past 14 years, cumulative losses in Agra have reached ₹2,434 crore, while Torrent Power profits by selling electricity to consumers at ₹7.98 per unit, making an estimated ₹800 crore annually,” he claimed.
Samiti convenor also raised concerns about Greater Noida’s privatisation deal, which began in 1993 with a condition that Noida Power Company would set up a power plant within 54 months. “However, no such plant was established, leaving the state power corporation to continue supplying electricity at subsidised rates for decades,” Dubey claimed.