The Uttar Pradesh government has introduced a major relief measure for electricity consumers, ensuring that power supply will not be disconnected immediately even when smart prepaid meters run out of balance.
Energy Minister AK Sharma announced that consumers will continue receiving electricity for a maximum of three days or until Rs 200 worth of usage for connections up to two kilowatts.
The decision followed a review meeting at Shakti Bhavan in Lucknow aimed at making the electricity system more transparent and consumer-friendly.
Additionally, households with recently installed smart meters will benefit from a 45-day grace period during which connections will not be severed.
The Energy Minister also directed that electricity connections will not be disconnected on Sundays and holidays, regardless of negative balances.
To keep consumers informed, the state has implemented a five-level SMS alert system that sends notifications when balance levels reach 30 per cent, 10 per cent, zero, one day before disconnection, and after disconnection.
The Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation has also set up a toll-free helpline at 1912 for complaint resolution, with additional support available through the UPPCL website and WhatsApp chatbot.
In a parallel move, the government has suspended the installation of new smart meters across the state pending a technical review.
A four-member expert committee comprising professors from IIT Kanpur and technical specialists has been formed to examine the quality of smart meters.
The committee will submit its report within 10 days, after which further decisions regarding the smart meter programme will be taken.
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