Since the management of UP Power Corporation limited (UPPCl) neglected the up gradation of transmission system in previous two years, the consumers were forced to face acute power crisis this summer despite sufficient energy was available around, alleged a consumer body UP Rajya Vidyut Upbhokta Parishad (UPRVUP) on Sunday.
Stressing that more than any other factor laxity and mismanagement was responsible for ongoing power crisis while there was no scarcity of energy, the UPRVUP chairman Avdhesh Kumar Verma, said, owing to mismatch only between the transmission capacity and load of connections, consumers were forced to bear shortage of 1500-2000 Mw energy every day.
Targeting the power discoms for their tall claims which are belied every summer, Verma said, the total load of 1.32 crore consumer connections was 3.58 crore kilowatt against which the total transmission capacity of all power discoms under power corporation was 2.37 crore kilowatt. Due to this serious mismatch the power companies, even if enough energy was available, would not be able to send it to consumer end.
Recently the chief minister, Akhilesh Yadav also had instructed power corporation to enhance number of substations in order to make transmission system efficient to needs of consumers.
According to section 4.2 of the power distribution code, the transmission system should be upgraded after load factor reaching 80 percent. On other hand the transmission system in UP was overloaded by 100 percent leading to low voltage supply and roistering on large scale, he said.
Pointing at unfair treatment with consumers, Verma said, the power companies in present were charging Rs. 65 fix charge over all connections of urban domestic category consumers which was against rules since the companies have failed in providing energy in tune with approved load.
In cases of electrical appliances being damaged, reportedly on large scale, due to low voltage the power discoms should be paying compensation as per power distribution code. In present over 25 percent consumers were suffering from low voltage problem, he added.