The State Government defended its decision to handover power distribution in five districts to integrated service providers (ISP) or private players. The Government blamed the Opposition for spreading misinformation about the programme by dubbing it as a move to privatise power sector in the State. “The opposition is spreading canards against the Yogi Government through false propaganda. The Government has decided only to hand over power distribution to a franchise—ISP, which will only look after maintenance of power distribution system, billing and collecting revenue from consumers,’’ said Energy Minister Srikant Sharma in lucknow on Tuesday.
“The Government will continue to own assets of power distribution network and there would be no retrenchment of existing employees. Instead, more jobs would be created in the Power sector after the entry of the ISP,” he said.
Claiming that the Yogi Government was committed to benefiting all categories of power consumers, the Minister said that the motto of the Government was ‘Upbhokta Devo Bhava’ (Consumer is divine).
Blaming the opposition for the confusion among common people over the ISP, the Minister said that they were trying to instigate Power employees who are agitating against the Government over handing over five cities to the franchise.
“The opposition parties during their regimes in UP, handed over power distribution in Agra to a private company and now they are opposing it to cover up their misdeeds. The BJP Government is handing over power distribution to ISP on far better terms and condition to safeguard the interest of consumers and public sector power generation companies. In coming days, consumers will endorse the Government’s move in an overwhelming manner,” he said.