Villagers want power @ lantern

Richeek Mishra

Agra. "India lives in Villages..." yes that's true. When it comes to assessing the various facilities and amenities, they not only misuse it but evade the payment. This is what gets reflected in Kiravali tehsil. Here the villagers are not paying their electricity bills even after being repeatedly told by the power corporation. They want it as cheap as to lit a lantern. Infact, they would prefer electricity free of cost. Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) has disconnected the power supply of seven villages of Kiravali tehsil.

Residents of four villages annoyed with the step taken by the UPPCL jammed the traffic on Jaipur Road for four hours on October 24. Considering the seriousness of the matter and also the SAARC delegation visit, SDM Garima Yadav assured them for power supply. She further asked power officials to provide electricity supply to these four villages upto October 28. She further said that administration would like to avoid any type of unwanted situation during the visit of SAARC delegation. On the complaint of power corporation officials about the pending bills, Yadav suggested them to organise camps in villages to collect them.

UPPCL officials have organised camps in these seven villages to collect the pending bills, however the villagers did not show their interest to submit the bill. SDM Garima Yadav instructed UPPCL officials to disconnect the power supply to all these villages after October 28, if they do not submit the bills. According the UPPCL, these villages have to deposit around Rs. 65 lakh. Corporation has warned them for regular power cut if they do not deposit the amount within the given deadline.

The four villages in which the power supply has been provided till October 28 are Garara, Garibi Chitra, Sugnapur and Nagla Sikarwar. Residents of these villages jammed the traffic on the Jaipur Road. The other three villages are Satyampura, Nagla Ajitha and Suteri. UPPCL has disconnected the power supply of these three villages for indefinite period.

Village Pending amount

Garara -24 lakh, Satyampura-19 lakh, Nagla Sikarwar-12 lakh, Suteri-07 lakh, Sugnapur-06 lakh, Nagla Ajitha-04 lakh, Garibi Chitra-03 lakh

Strike worries UPPCL Chairman

UPPCL Chairman GB Pattanaik discussed about the state-level strike of engineers with his officials at every zonal office through hotline. Few more temporary control rooms will be open to provide regular and uninterrupted power supply and to resolve customers' grievances. Pattanaik asked his officials about the preparation going on. Further he has instructed to resolve customers' grievances during the strike.