SHRIKANT SHARMA,

to people. He claimed there was no shortage of electricity in the state.

He said the transmission capacity was up from 16,348 MW in 2016-17 to 26,000 MW now and it would reach 32,400 MW by 2025. He said the government spent Rs 12,111.75 crore to build new transmission and distribution sub-stations of various capacities.

The minister further said that all the power generating plants in the state together produce 26,937 MW power every day which is 4000 MW more than what the production used to be four years ago. He said UP will generate 34,500 MW power by 2022. “This is because a lot of work done by us in the field of generation, transmission and distribution that even villages today get power supply for 18 hours a day and this 54% more than what villages got four years ago,” Sharma claimed.

About 1.5 million power engineers and employees across the country will strike work on August 10, to protest against the proposed Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2021. The bill has been listed for the Monsoon Session of Parliament.

Making this announcement here on Wednesday, All-india Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF) chairman Shailendra Dubey said that the strike decision was taken in a virtual meeting of the National Coordination Committee of Electricity Employees and Engineers (NCCOEEEE).

“Power employees and engineers will hold protest meetings on July 19 across the country. NCCOEEE core committee office bearers will meet the Union power minister on July 27 and hand over a memorandum against the proposed Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2021.

The office-bearers of various organisations will also hold four-day Satyagraha at Shram Shakti Bhawan, New Delhi, from August 3,” Dubey said.

“The bill should not be rushed through. It should be referred to the standing committee on energy of parliament. The main stakeholders— power consumers and power employees should be given the opportunity to place their views before the bill is tabled in the Parliament,” he demanded.