State’s power system derailed, consumers burdened: Akhilesh Yadav slams BJP over UP’s power crisis

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday alleged that the BJP government has completely derailed the state’s power system, leaving people battered by frequent outages and rising electricity charges.

Yadav, in a statement issued here, said the functioning of the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) has become arbitrary, with the corporation itself violating its own rules.

“From September 10 to October 6, around 1.74 lakh applications were filed for new power connections, but due to the increased rates, 37,043 applications remain pending,” he said.

Referring to the issue of smart prepaid meters, Yadav said the State Power Consumer Parishad has requested the authorities to refund the money collected from applicants until a final decision is taken.

Citing provisions of the Electricity Act, 2003, he said consumers are entitled to choose between a prepaid or postpaid meter, but the department is imposing its decisions unilaterally.

“The power corporation is forcing consumers to bear the burden of its policy lapses by making prepaid meters mandatory for new connections,” Yadav said, adding that the government’s intention appears to be to “mortgage the power sector to capitalists.”

He alleged that the government has not generated a single new unit of electricity but has instead begun “exploiting consumers through costly power and smart meters.” Yadav alleged that connection charges for poor families have increased sixfold — from Rs 1,000 earlier to Rs 6,000 now.

“The power corporation, under government patronage, is imposing unilateral decisions without the knowledge of the regulatory commission, compelling consumers to accept higher tariffs,” he said.

“Profiteering, political donations from companies, and rampant corruption in contracts have fueled unprecedented inflation,” he alleged.

Small traders, vendors, and business establishments are suffering from power cuts and frequent faults, discouraging new investments in the state, he added.

“In the BJP regime, inflation, unemployment, and corruption have peaked. The middle class, the poor, and labourers are all distressed. Only by removing this government in 2027 will people get relief,” Yadav said.