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Uttar Pradesh: Regulator steps up pressure for installing meters in homes of power employees
UPERC seeks report from UPPCL on continuation of unmetered electricity to staff, asks for details of power load and monthly consumption
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The Uttar Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (UPERC) has stepped up pressure on the UP Power Corporation Ltd (UPPCL) to install meters in the residences of power employees and pensioners as well.
In Uttar Pradesh, around one lakh power personnel and pensioners consume unmetered electricity. They are said to put up strong resistance to any bid to install meters in their houses. They argue that unmetered power was part of their service conditions.
Taking a serious view of their using unmetered power supply in violation of the Electricity Act, 2003, the UPERC in 2016-17 abolished the separate category for them. Back then, the regulator clubbed them with other domestic consumers after which they were supposed to pay bills like any other unmetered consumer till meters were not installed in their residences.
The UPPCL, however, could not start installing meters at its employees and pensioners’ houses nor realise bills as per the new provisions, fearing protests from employees’ unions.
“Now, the commission has sought a report from UPPCL on the continuation of the unmetered electricity to the staff. It has asked the corporation to provide details with regard to the power load employees are using, their monthly consumption and loss of revenue to the corporation,” a UPPCL official said.
The commission had given one week’s time to the UPPCL to submit its report.
“The commission has also ordered every discom to file 10 sample bills each and audited details of the amount deposited against them by power employees connected,” the official said.
Before abolishing the separate consumer category for power men, the fixed charge of ₹160 to ₹600 per month was realised from different levels of employees and pensioners. In summer, there was a provision to pay for air conditioners (ACs) at the rate of ₹600 per AC.
Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Upbhokta Parishad chairman Avdhesh Kumar Varma said that in the tariff order of 2015-16, the commission had given time till January 1, 2016 to the employees and pensioners availing unmetered electricity facility to install meters.
“After January 1, 2016, orders were given for recovery of bills on the basis of estimated consumption from those who did not install meters, but this, too, could not be implemented. Even after seven years, neither the meters are installed nor the billing has been started on the basis of estimated consumption at the houses of employees or pensioners,” he said.
“On the contrary, the collection of bills from departmental employees and pensioners has now stopped. Taking this seriously, the commission has also sought details of the revenue of this category” Verma added.
