LUCKNOW The Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd (UPPCL) may soon announce a one-time settlement scheme (OTS) to enable defaulters to clear their arrears in easy installments without paying the interest due on the principal amount, people in the know of things said.
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Presiding over a high-level meeting on Saturday, chief minister Yogi Adityanath directed the UPPCL officials to plan an OTS for defaulters after which the corporation is believed to have started doing the homework for the same.
“We are waiting for directions from the government detailing consumers of which category should be covered under the OTS,” a senior UPPCL official said. Another official disclosed that arrears of more than ₹45,000 crore were pending against consumers of various categories including consumers who alone owed over ₹19,000 crore to the UPPCL.
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Grappling with a liquidity crisis, the UPPCL announces OTS almost every year to recover as many dues as it can even after losing the interest. The U.P. Electricity Regulatory Commission (UPERC), however, a few years ago, termed the OTS as a bad practice that, according to it, encourages dishonest consumers not to pay their bills on time.
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UPPCL chairman M Devraj, in the meantime, asked the officials concerned to ensure that all the pending transmission projects in the state are completed on time so that a smooth supply of power could be provided to people. Holding a meeting here on Tuesday, he also warned of action against officials found lax in complementing power projects as per the schedule.
