Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) today announced to phase out Chinese meters installed for recording energy consumption data in the premises of its consumers.
The meters, which had replaced earlier manual machines, were claimed to be tamper proof and were installed with much fanfare for checking rampant power theft and pilferage.
However, the UPPCL today admitted that the meters were not tamper proof and had failed to check power theft.
"We are in the process of phasing out Chinese meters from the state and it is expected to be completed within a year," UPPCL Managing Director AP Mishra told Business Standard.
He informed that Chinese meters of late had started showing "erratic behaviour" and the new meters, which had several "tamper proof" features, had been procured in sufficient numbers for installation.
Of late, UPPCL had started an intensive campaign to identify consumers, involved in power theft at their residential and commercial premises in Lucknow. Almost 1,300 cases had come to light in the last 20 days.
"Buoyed by the encouraging response, we have decided to replicate the campaign statewide. Besides, we will take stern action against our staff if they are found complicit with offenders," Mishra added.
Meanwhile, UPPCL is in the process of regularisation of rural power connection and so far almost 1.5 lakh connections had been regularised and another lakh would be brought under the net by March. This has resulted in increase of our revenues from rural sector by Rs 100 crore.
"The focus on not only on regularising rural connections, but expanding our consumer base also," he said.
The corporation is installing separate feeders in western UP at a cost of nearly Rs 1,400 crore.
