Residents of Pratapgarh district in Uttar Pradesh who are planning to get a new electricity connection will now pay a reduced fee of Rs 2,800 for a smart meter, down from the earlier Rs 6,000. This move is expected to provide significant relief to those seeking new connections.

The district has four power distribution and transmission divisions, Sadar, Kunda, Lalganj, and Raniganj, covering around five lakh consumers. Smart meters are being installed in every household to curb electricity theft. In the first phase, smart meters are being set up in the homes of 432,000 consumers, with the work now almost 90 percent complete.

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Smart meters are also being provided with new connections. Each month, approximately 500-600 new connections are issued across all four divisions. Previously, the smart meter fee was Rs 8,000, which discouraged many from applying for connections. It was later reduced to Rs 6,000 and has now been further lowered to Rs 2,800, easing the financial burden for consumers.

Superintending Engineer Chhail Bihari stated that continuous efforts are underway to strengthen the power system, and this initiative will make obtaining new connections much easier.

Consumer Numbers by Division:

Sadar: 1,67,293

Kunda: 1,00,759

Lalganj: 1,22,694

Raniganj: 1,10,806

Eailery Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation is cracking down on 2.8 lakh electricity bill defaulters, who owe around Rs 1000 crore despite using appliances like ACs, fans, coolers, and fridges. The company plans to issue recovery certificates (RCs) and enforce action through power disconnections, cable confiscations, and theft case registrations against those who fail to clear their dues. Currently, 41 substations across Akbarpur, Jalalpur, Tanda, and Alappur serve about 4.3 lakh consumers. To help settle bills, 105 deposit counters, including camps in 85 villages, have been set up, with over 1,000 people paying their dues in a single day.

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Madhyanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam also launched an OTS (One-Time Settlement) scheme, allowing consumers to pay overdue bills at discounted rates. The scheme saw huge crowds at the Akbarpur subdivision office but ends on Saturday. Despite this, 2.8 lakh consumers remain defaulters, and the corporation is now identifying them sub-centre-wise to initiate further recovery actions.