Union power minister reviews UP’s power sector

19 Nov 2024 CW Team

Union minister of power and housing & urban affairs, Manohar Lal, conducted a review of Uttar Pradesh’s power sector in a meeting in Lucknow, emphasising the need for prepaid meters for government consumers and a shift of agricultural power load to solar energy.

The meeting, attended by Uttar Pradesh’s Energy & Urban Development Minister Arvind Kumar Sharma, Minister of State for Urban Development Rakesh Rathore, and senior officials, discussed the state's power generation challenges and the progress of the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS).

During the review, Manohar Lal advised the state to prioritise prepaid meters for government consumers by March 2025 and suggested a 5% rebate for prepaid users. He urged timely execution of distribution infrastructure projects in NOIDA, Varanasi, and Kanpur, aiming to improve electricity access and reliability. The union minister proposed that Uttar Pradesh implement a resource adequacy plan to meet rising power demand and recommended a joint meeting with the Department of Atomic Energy to explore nuclear power projects in the state. He also highlighted the need for best practices in transmission operations and stressed effective implementation of the rights of consumers under the Electricity Rules, including compensation for service deficiencies.

The state highlighted its ongoing efforts to ensure reliable power supply and improve the financial health of distribution companies. Manohar Lal assured the state of the central government’s continued support in power and urban development initiatives aimed at enhancing services and living conditions for the people of Uttar Pradesh.

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