CM Yogi cracks the whip on Power Dept: No excuses for outages or overbilling

Lucknow : During a high-level review meeting of the Power Department on Friday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath underscored that the state’s power system is no longer just a technical or administrative matter—it is a symbol of public trust and a measure of the government’s responsiveness to citizens’ needs. He issued a stern warning that tripping, overbilling, and unwarranted power cuts will not be tolerated under any circumstances, and directed officials to implement urgent improvements without delay.

The Chief Minister was informed that in June 2025, Uttar Pradesh successfully met a record peak power demand of 31,486 MW, with a total supply of 16,930 million units. Despite soaring humidity and temperatures that led to an unexpected surge in consumption, uninterrupted power was provided, averaging 24 hours in urban areas, 21.5 hours at the tehsil level, and 18 hours in rural regions.

Expressing strong dissatisfaction over recurring tripping complaints, the Chief Minister directed officials to conduct thorough technical audits of all feeders, identify weak points, and resolve them immediately. He emphasized the need to enhance transformer capacity wherever required to prevent overloading. CM Yogi also emphasised the importance of addressing legitimate consumer complaints promptly and effectively from the ground up, ensuring timely relief and fostering public confidence in the power system.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath emphasized that there is no shortage of resources. The government has allocated a record-breaking budget to strengthen power generation, transmission, and distribution. In such a scenario, any form of negligence will no longer be tolerated. After reviewing the power supply status with the Managing Directors of all DISCOMs, the Chief Minister directed that accountability must be fixed at every level.

Addressing the issue of billing, the Chief Minister asserted, “Every consumer must receive a clear, accurate bill on time every month. Instances of inflated or incorrect billing erode public trust and damage the department’s credibility—this is unacceptable. Efforts must be made to improve billing efficiency.” He was informed that 31 lakh consumers have already been connected to smart meters, and the process is rapidly progressing towards block-level implementation.

The Chief Minister also directed a phased reduction of technical and commercial (line) losses and called on each DISCOM to prepare a focused, actionable strategy to address this. He stressed the need to accelerate modernization of the transmission and distribution infrastructure wherever required.

Regarding power generation, officials briefed the Chief Minister that the state’s current total installed capacity is 11,595 MW, comprising thermal, hydro, renewable, and central schemes. With the commissioning of upcoming projects, such as Ghatampur and Meja, the state’s capacity is expected to rise to 16,000 MW within the next two years. Generation from renewable sources alone will exceed 100 MW. The Chief Minister instructed that these projects be continuously monitored and completed within the stipulated timelines.

Focusing on the agricultural sector, CM Yogi called for the rapid separation of agricultural feeders and expedited efforts to connect farmers to the PM KUSUM Yojana. He directed that all agricultural tubewells be transitioned to solar power on a priority basis, providing farmers with permanent relief and reducing their dependence on conventional electricity.

Concluding the meeting, the Chief Minister reminded officials that the power system is not just about transformers and wiring—it is a reflection of public expectations and the government’s commitment. “It is our responsibility to ensure that every citizen receives electricity transparently, without discrimination, and promptly,” he said.