VIP areas kept out of rostering
THE LUCKNOW Electricity Supply Administration (LESA) is adopting a pick and choose policy in making power cuts in the city. While no rostering is being done in any locality under the Hussainganj division that caters to the so-called VIP places, people in rest of the city are being subjected to three-hour power cuts every day.
Exempted from official rostering for long, the State Capital has now been brought under regular power cuts as the UP Power Corporation Ltd (UPPCL) has decided to supply more electricity to villages at the cost of cities. The corporation has ordered more power cuts in cities and reintroduction of rostering in Lucknow.
For the last few days, city residents have been experiencing three-hour power cuts every day from 3 pm to 6 pm. But LESA has discriminated between VIP and non-VIP localities. As a result, while ‘ordinary mortals’ in all other localities go without power every day, the fortunate ones living under the VIP Hussainganj division are even not aware if any rostering is being made in Lucknow. All power feeders connected to the Jawahar Bhawan, Dalibagh, Clyde Road, Indira Bhawan, Hussainganj, OCR, Cooper Road and Raj Bhawan and Lal Bagh sub-stations stand exempted from power cuts.
And why not? After all, these feeders carry electricity to VIP places and colonies like Kalidas Marg, Vikramaditya Marg, Secretariats, MLA hostels, Raj Bhawan, Butler Palace and Gulista. Interestingly, some non-VIP and not-so-VIP localities situated around the VIP ones are also getting 24 hour supply by default as they are connected to the same VIP feeders. So Hazratganj, Lalbagh, Ashok Marg, Gokhale Marg, Madan Mohan Malviya Marg, Old Cant Road and many more such areas do know what rostering is all about.
{{/usCountry}}And why not? After all, these feeders carry electricity to VIP places and colonies like Kalidas Marg, Vikramaditya Marg, Secretariats, MLA hostels, Raj Bhawan, Butler Palace and Gulista. Interestingly, some non-VIP and not-so-VIP localities situated around the VIP ones are also getting 24 hour supply by default as they are connected to the same VIP feeders. So Hazratganj, Lalbagh, Ashok Marg, Gokhale Marg, Madan Mohan Malviya Marg, Old Cant Road and many more such areas do know what rostering is all about.
{{/usCountry}}But, then, happy days for such localities may be over in a day or two. LESA is on its work to segregate the ordinary and not so VIP consumers from VIP feeders to bring them under regular rostering.
“Though we have not imposed power cuts in any locality under the Hussainganj division, we may make power cuts in some non-VIP areas from tomorrow,” said Hussainganj Division executive engineer SK Agrawal.
The worst affected, however, are the trans-Gomti localities like Gomti Nagar, Indira Nagar, Mahanagar, Aliganj and Vikas Nagar which earlier faced power cuts due to regular tripping on low grid frequency for weeks together. And, this time, LESA started making rostering from these localities only. Significantly, LESA’s revenue recovery is better in these trans-Gomti divisions than in the VIP Hussainganj division where consumers have been allowed to enjoy uninterrupted power cuts. It is a known fact that there is rampant power theft in and poor revenue recovery from the Estate Department’s VIP colonies.
No wonder, then, LESA’s discriminatory approach has started causing consternation to consumers. “There is no justification in exempting the so-called VIP localities from power cuts,” said UP Rajya Vidyut Upbhokta Parishad president Awadhesh Kumar Verma. He said when consumers paid power bills on equal rates irrespective of localities, they should also get or not get electricity in equal proportion.
UPPCL chief general manager (system control) Ashok Kumar said the corporation had ordered 2-3 hour power cuts between 3 pm and 6 pm so that 250-300 MW of power load in Lucknow could be spared for diversion to villages. “Now it is up to LESA where it made power cuts and where it does not,” he said. He also said that people should not worry as it was a temporary arrangement and rostering might go from Lucknow within 15 days or so after the irrigation power load in villages decreased.