255 small towns to get 20-24 hours power supply

LUCKNOW:Ahead of the civic polls in the state, the UP Power Corporation Ltd (UPPCL) on Monday announced its decision to enhance electricity supply hours in the small towns which are not tehsil headquarters.

The corporation also announced there will be no power cuts during Dhanteras and Diwali. The UPPCL has identified 255 such urban local bodies (town areas, nagar panchayats) to supply 20-24 hours electricity to them every day.

Of them ,75 are under the Lucknow disc om ,41 under Varanasi discom, 87 under Meerut discom and 52 under Agra discom.

“We have directed the state load dispatch centre to take action immediately on enhancing supply to 20-24 hours to all the 255 towns bringing them on a par with the tehsil headquarters for the purpose of power supply ,” UP PC L chairman and principal secretary, energy, Alok Kumar said.

“As directed by the chief minister, we will also supply roundthe-clock electricity throughout the state during Dhanteras and Diwali and all necessary arrangements have been made for the same,” he said. At present, these towns are entitled to 18 hours power as per the rural schedule.

The decision is said to have been taken with an eye on the local urban body polls in November-December.

The civic polls may also delay an announcement on the new tariff by the UP Electricity Regulatory Commission (UPERC) though the UPPCL wants an early order.

Energy minister Shrikant Sharma on Monday indicated the government was not in a hurry with regard to power tariff announcement when UP Rajya Vidyut Upbhokta Parishad president Awadesh Kumar Verma met him. Verma told the minister that the UPPCL was pressuring the regulator to announce the tariff hike before Diwali.

Verma said as per rules, the UPERC was entitled to take 120 days to announce the tariff hike after admitting the proposal. “The 120 days will complete in January but the UPPCL management wants the tariff order before Diwali,” he said.

The minister, however, assured Verma of not allowing the UPPCL to pressure the regulator to get the tariff hike by circumventing the procedure.

Sources said the government was not in favour of the UPERC announcing the tariff order before the civic polls were over. The government is expected to issue the poll notification on October 25.