The Uttar Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (UPERC) has issued a show-cause notice to the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL), demanding an explanation for why a penalty of Rs 1 lakh per day should not be imposed for failing to restore electricity supply to prepaid smart meter consumers within the stipulated time frame.
Non-compliance with regulations
In its notice issued on Thursday, UPERC highlighted that UPPCL had acknowledged non-compliance with Regulation 16.11.1 of the UPERC’s Standards of Performance Regulations, 2019. This regulation mandates the restoration of power supply within two hours of recharge for prepaid meters. The commission noted that as many as 1.93 lakh prepaid smart meter consumers were affected by delays exceeding the prescribed two-hour limit.
The notice referenced data submitted by UPPCL on April 17 in response to an earlier commission notice. The data covered prepaid smart meter reconnections across 16 different dates between March 13 and April 10. During this period, electricity supply to over 40.27 lakh prepaid consumer households was disrupted due to negative balances in their accounts.
Performance below threshold
“Upon examination, UPERC observed that the percentage of cases where power supply was restored within two hours dropped as low as 77%,” the notice stated. According to the commission, “The performance fell below the minimum threshold stipulated under the regulations on 10 out of the 16 days reviewed. The regulations require discoms to meet the standard of restoring supply within the prescribed time in at least 95% of cases on a daily basis. Failure to achieve this benchmark constitutes a violation of the standards of performance.”
In light of these violations, the commission has asked UPPCL to explain why a penalty of Rs 1 lakh under the Electricity Act, 2003 should not be imposed for each day of default. The potential penalty pertains to violations recorded on March 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 23, 25, and 28, and April 2 and 7, 2026.
UPERC has directed UPPCL to submit its reply within 15 days of receipt of the notice. Failure to provide a satisfactory explanation could result in financial penalties and further regulatory action.
New managing director takes charge
In a related development, Nitish Kumar formally assumed charge as the managing director of UPPCL in Lucknow on Thursday. He took over from Pankaj Kumar, who has proceeded on central deputation. A 2010-batch IAS officer, Kumar was earlier serving as the managing director of Dakshinanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Ltd (DVVNL). He has also served as the district magistrate of Ayodhya and Bareilly.
Leaders of the UP Rajya Vidyut Parishad Abhiyanta Sangh, including general secretary Jitendra Gurjar and senior vice president Prabhat Singh, described Nitish Kumar as a forward-looking and performance-driven officer. They credited him with major reforms at DVVNL, including innovative training initiatives, improved digital systems, higher revenue realization, better loss control, and enhanced consumer services.
