PCL to regularise illegal tube well connections in dark zones

LUCKNOW: Thousands of private tube wells operating illegally under dark zones in various districts will now get a legal sanctity with the UP Power Corporation Ltd’s (UPPCL) decision to regularise electricity connections of all such tube wells.

UPPCL managing director Aparna U has issued written instructions to all the discoms in this regard.

The move will enable the corporation to get additional revenue in the form of supervision charges and monthly bills from such tube wells once the connections are regularized.

“The discoms have been asked to intimate consumers operating tube wells to pay the necessary charges for getting their connections regularised and also submit an affidavit for the same. The discoms have been told to publish lists of all such consumers in newspapers by December 25,” said Agra discom MD, SK Verma.

During an inquiry by the UPPCL’s vigilance wing, it was found that hundreds of tube well connections were issued in villages under the dark zones in Hathras district. In 2007-08, the government banned electricity connections for private tube wells in the over-exploited areas termed as dark zones. “The local UPPCL staff issued power connections for the private tube wells in the dark zones without making any entry with regard to supervision charges, bills etc in the official records,” Verma said.