Aiming to improve power supply in the state,the Bahujan Samaj Party government has decided to invite franchisees for input-based power transmission and distribution in the urban areas of the state. A decision in this connection was taken by the state Cabinet on Friday. Claiming transparency in the selection of the franchisee,government officials said the scheme will be implemented in a phased manner. The franchisee will be held responsible for strengthening the electricity system,including the distribution network. This will not only help consumers get better power supply,but also improve the performance of the energy sector, read the official statement issued by the government. Explaining input-based franchising,Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited CMD Navneet Sehgal said: The government will give a certain amount of electricity at a fixed price to the franchisee,who in turn will sell it at a profit and pay the government. The need for such a step came up after the recent boycott of work by the employees of the power sector. In a recent meeting,Chief Minister Mayawati had directed senior officials to prepare an action plan to improve the functioning of the power sector. Following this,a proposal for implementing the system was presented before the Cabinet. According to government officials,after the implementation of this system,consumers will get fault-free,uninterrupted power supply. Moreover,there will also be a check on power pilferage. The system will help in quick repair of line faults. Long waits for power connections will also be a thing of the past, said an official. The franchisee system also aims at checking the corrupt practices prevalent in the distribution of power.
