Avdhesh Verma, President of the Uttar Pradesh State Electricity Consumers Council, is questioning the state's push to privatise the electricity sector, given that the central government is already investing Rs 44,094 crore to improve the system under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS).
Verma argues that with such a substantial government investment, the benefits should be passed on to consumers rather than moving towards privatisation. He has called for a full investigation into the matter.
He detailed the allocation of the funds, stating that approximately Rs 16,112 crore has been approved to reduce electrical losses, and Rs 27,342 crore is being spent on installing smart pre-paid meters.
Verma also noted that electricity companies have reported to the Regulatory Commission that the benefits of the RDSS scheme are currently delayed. They attribute this delay to sit-in protests by employees who are against the privatisation plans. However, the companies anticipate that the positive effects of the scheme will be visible by the end of the financial year.
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In light of this, Verma insists that the Power Corporation management should withdraw its privatisation proposal and ensure that the advantages of the RDSS scheme directly benefit the state's electricity consumers.
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