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This is an archive article published on May 23, 2009

Post poll,rural UP to get power during peak hours

Post-election,the state government has ordered the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation to ensure a minimum 10 hours’ power supply during peak hours in rural areas...

Post-election,the state government has ordered the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation to ensure a minimum 10 hours’ power supply during peak hours in rural areas,and introduce rostering during these hours in towns to meet the demand.

The order was issued two days ago and the details are yet to be finalised. As of now,the project will start in 50 districts of the state. As for the compensatory rostering,only the cities of Kanpur,Agra,Varansai,Allahabad and Lucknow will be exempted.

The decision comes on the heels of the BSP’s below-expectation performance in the Lok Sabha elections. Poor electricity supply was a grievance often heard in the rural areas during campaigning. So far,the urban areas had a preference in getting electricity. The argument was that the recovery of revenue was poor from rural areas.

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“The arrangement has been made to improve on the power distribution,so that everyone can make the best use of it,” said Arun,Director of Distribution at the UP Power Corporation. Rural areas will be given power supply from 5 am to 10 am and from 6 pm to 11 pm.

At present,the state generates around 3,000 MW each day and gets around 3,100 MW from the central pool costing around Rs 2.3 to Rs 2.5 per unit.

But since the demand is more,an extra 400 to 500 MW is drawn each day,at a cost ranging from Rs 8 to Rs 10 per unit. Despite this extra withdrawal,there is a shortage and rostering of supply is done.

Officials agree that the new system will mean a strain on the corporation’s finances,but no estimate of this was immediately available.

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“We are not giving 24 hours of electricity to rural areas. It just 10 hours and should not be of much problem,” said Arun.

Avdhesh Kumar,president of the Uttar Pradesh Bijli Upbhokta Parishad,said the new arrangement could lead to law and order problems in urban areas.

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