LUCKNOW: Over two million power consumers in the state will have to pay more for electricity from Saturday.
Ignoring opposition by political parties and a petition filed by the UP Rajya Vidyut Upbhokta Parishad against the hike, the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) on Friday decided to go ahead with the hike in power tariff.
On November 30 last, Uttar Pradesh State Electricity Regulatory Commission (UPSERC) announced a hefty hike in power tariff that would leave a heavy burden on consumers in rural areas.
Consumers in rural areas will now have to shell out more than 150 per cent, but domestic consumers in urban areas will face only 12 per cent rise in power tariff.
Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) chief engineer (commercial and power accounts) A K Pathak said here that the new tariff would be enforced from Saturday after fulfilment of all norms.
He said that there would be an average hike of around 12 per cent for the urban domestic user along with Rs10 increase in per kilowatt load. Besides, the hike in per unit consumption would be between 89- 90 paise.
Meanwhile, Power Minister Srikant Sharma announced an increase in the number of enforcement teams from 33 to 88 in the state to initiate strict action against defaulters and consumers indulging in power theft.
The enforcement teams would be attached to the power police stations that are being set up in all the 75 districts.
Mr Sharma said that each of enforcement team would consist of an assistant engineer, junior engineer along with 10 policemen, including a sub-inspector ranked police officer.
The minister disclosed that UPPCL had suffered financial loss of around Rs 78,000 crore, of which Rs 28,000 crore were to be realised from defaulters.
Observers felt that the power tariff hike will affect all sectors, except the industrial sector.
While the hike for rural domestic users was 63 per cent, the hike for urban domestic users was by 8.49 per cent. The commercial category will now have to shell out 9.89 per cent more and Government offices and institutions 13.36 per cent more. (AGENCIES)
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