No disconnection, power even at zero balance: UP halts smart meter rollout

Providing a major relief to the consumers, the Uttar Pradesh government on Sunday announced that electricity would not be disrupted for three days even after smart meters, which are soon to be installed, run out of balance.

In addition to this, the government also decided to put a temporary pause on the installation of the meters across the state, citing a pending four-member technical committee report, which will be evaluated by the state government.

Energy Minister AK Sharma, while briefing the government’s decision after a departmental review meeting, also mentioned that the people are not expected to witness any power disruption for 45 days once the smart metres are installed across the state.

He also said that to improve transparency and keep citizens informed, a robust five-level SMS alert system would be implemented to notify consumers about their billing status and balance updates.

Furthermore, Sharma asked the authorities to ensure seamless connection of power lines during the night, on Sundays, or on public holidays, urging UPPCL (Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited) officials to adopt a more humanitarian approach towards the public.

Amid the rising temperatures, he put a special emphasis on ensuring an uninterrupted power supply, with instructions to expedite all pending maintenance and maintenance-related works to prevent local breakdowns.

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With inputs from Santosh, PTI

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