UP Government Prepares Roadmap For Power Sector For Two Years

The meeting lasted over 3 hours, focused upon chalking out a roadmap for revamping the State Power sector in the next 24 months. “We have to bring an Urja Kranti (energy revolution) in UP and we will work together to achieve it”, Goyal stated.

Taking a review of the ground level situation of the power sector in the State, Goyal studied facts and figures presented by the State officials, asked pin pointed questions to understand the situation and identified the key challenges and corresponding steps that both the Governments would require to take in the near future to achieve the aim of 24x7 Affordable Quality Power for All in the State.

Goyal made his priorities very clear from the very beginning when he stated that the policy of the new UP Government should be of zero tolerance towards corruption and of eliminating power theft through strict monitoring so as to make the power sector efficient. This in turn, would bring down the power generation costs and benefit the consumers by reducing their electricity bills ultimately. The Minister gave strict instructions to systemize speedy implementation of ground level electrification so that the people should witness actual work being taking place without the incidence of corruption anywhere.

Major decisions that were taken during the meeting included giving free electricity connections to the urban and rural BPL households and to APL households at reasonable EMIs by giving 100 per cent financing option. These electricity connections would be given without any discrimination on caste or religious lines and would be based on the latest socio-economic census data.

Further, an amnesty scheme would be given to all those household and commercial connections that want to take legal electricity connections. There would be a State-wide campaign against power theft, along with a drive to sensitize all the stakeholders to shun corruption and bring in honesty in the sector, the Minister added.

Other important decisions that were taken during the meeting were giving free electricity connections to urban BPL under IPDS scheme, making 100 per cent feeder separation and smart metering, waving off of interests on electricity dues and provision of option of EMIs to pay off the principal amounts, bringing in zero government official discretion and transparent monitoring to prevent harassment to the consumers at the hands of field officers. 
The decision was also taken regarding designating State Power official at each industrial feeder level who would be responsible for monitoring the consumption, billing, collection and ensuring 24x7 reliable quality power to the industry, reviewing and simplifying the tariff order to bring lower tariffs across the value chain, to remove bottlenecks in the intra State power transmission network so as to meet the power demand during this summer season.

Further, the minister directed the officials of the power ministry to conduct weekly ground level review of the progress of projects being implemented in the state, with the State Power Department officials in Lucknow from next month onwards.

The Minister also directed the State Power officers to devise a strategy to replace all the old thermal power plants in the state with Super Critical Power Plants and to engage in 100 per cent coal linkage swap so as to bring down the power costs for the common man.