Power for All: Govt, Centre ink pact for 24x7 power supply in UP

The 'Power for All' pact was signed in the presence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Power Piyush Goyal at 5 Kalidas Marg.

Lucknow, Apr 14: The Uttar Pradesh government and the Centre today entered into an agreement which promises to provide 24x7 power supply to all the households in the state.

The 'Power for All' pact was signed in the presence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Power Piyush Goyal at 5 Kalidas Marg, the official residence of UP Chief Minister.

Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma, UP Energy minister Shrikant Sharma and state minister for Power Swatantra Dev Singh were also present on this occasion. The state government also announced that it is expanding the ambit of helpline Dial 1911 through which the consumers in rural areas in coming days could communicate their grievances pertaining to power and electricity.

The Centre's undertaking Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) will install 10,000 energy efficiency solar- panel pumps will be distributed. It was also agreed upon to distribute to energy consumers (through electricity distribution companies) energy efficiency bulbs, tubelights and fans at cheaper rates.

Apart from this, the rural consumers will also get the facility of making digital payment through e-bhugtan. As many as eight sub-stations of UP Power Transmission Corporation Limited worth Rs 331.69 crore and 12 sub-stations of UP Power Corporation Limited worth Rs 75.60 crore were also unveiled.

On April 11, during the second meeting of the UP Cabinet, Chief Minister Adityanath had ordered 18-hour power supply in villages and 20-hour at tehsil level and in Bundelkhand.

Energy minister Sharma had said that the ambitious 'Power for All' pact will also help in meeting the Centre's target of making the state energy efficient by 2018 and help ensure power in all UP villages before 2019.

PTI