UP power dept to return Rs 523 cr to rural unmetered consumers

Admitting that Power department had wrongly collecting Rs 523 crore from the rural unmetered consumers since 2012, the Uttar Pradesh government announced in the state Assembly that the amount would be returned to the consumers through adjustment in their bills within the next two years.

Replying to a question of Ritesh Pandey (BSP) State Power Minister Srikant Mishra said that a wrong Government Order (GO) was issued in which the Power department charged 20 per cent Electricity duty instead of five per cent.

 “We have examined the matter and now, Rs 523 crore would be returned to the consumers,” he said. “This is a folly which needs to be rectified,” he said on Friday.

However, the BSP member said it was unfortunate that the government collected 20 per cent electricity duty for five years. 

In another question government announced that there is no shortage of electricity in the state and the power department was supplying electricity to villages, tehsils and cities as per the norms.

 “Against the average demand of 11,000 to 14500 megawatt during peak hours , the state government has arranged  around 17,200 megawatt of power through different sources including 4000 mw from own generation, 2525 mw through purchase and around 2000 mw from power exchange,” said Sharma.

He said that state would add 3960 mw power through commissioning of new generation units in the state sector and 3300 mw in the public sector.

In transmission sector, the minister said 27 new sub-stations was completed by December last while 25 sub-stations would be completed in this fiscal.

Sharma said that in the distribution sector the government was separating the rural and urban distribution. He said that 92 new 33 kva sub-stations have been constructed while capacity in 384 sub-stations have been enhanced.