‘Intensify drive against corruption in power sector’

LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Upbhokta Parishad has urged chief minister Yogi Adityanath to further intensify the drive against ‘rampant corruption’ in the state’s power sector. In a letter sent to the CM on Monday, Avdhesh Kumar Verma, the chairman of the consumer body, said that action being taken by the U.P. Power Corporation Ltd (UPPCL) management against the corrupt personnel is laudable but more efforts are needed for desired results.

“The campaign against corruption needs to be intensified in the interest of consumers as well the power sector,” said Verma.

He pointed out that the current cumulative deficit of the five U.P. discoms has reached Rs 1 lakh crore. The deficit, according to him, is largely due to inefficiency and corruption in the system. “As per a rough estimate, power worth more than Rs 5,000 crore is stolen annually even as revenue recovery is so poor that discoms find it difficult to even disburse salaries to its employees,” he claimed.

Verma further said the management’s tough action against the guilty engineers and employees in many cases -including the temporary power connection racket in Greater Noida -- unnerved many vested interests who are trying to build pressure for stopping the ‘Operation Clean’ (against illegal activities) midway.

“The drive must go on unabated under your able leadership,” Verma urged the chief minister.