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Crackdown on Lko power defaulters: Door-to-door recovery drive launched, to target consumers owing ₹50k
The move aims to dismantle a long-running nexus in which some consumers—often with the help of substation contract workers— restore disconnected power lines without clearing dues
Uttar Pradesh’s power distribution authorities have announced that connections of consumers with unpaid bills of ₹50,000 or more will now be disconnected as they will be fed into computers and software will detect the defaulters immediately.
The move aims to dismantle a long-running nexus in which some consumers—often with the help of substation contract workers— restore disconnected power lines without clearing dues. Under the revamped vertical system, the collection wing has been tasked with recovering outstanding payments from 2.25 lakh defaulters, representing an estimated ₹75 crore in unpaid revenue.
However, all consumers will be informed through phone calls and given ample time to deposit money before the connection gets snapped.
Recovery teams will serve defaulters with final notices specifying a short deadline to settle their dues. If the payment is not made within the stipulated period, the connection will be cut. Any substation employee found illegally reconnecting a disconnected line will face termination. Authorities also plan to monitor disconnected connections closely to prevent covert restoration.
In the outskirts of the city especially in Amausi zone around 1.5 lakh consumers have been listed as defaulters—1.1 lakh of whom have not paid their electricity bills for the past six months despite uninterrupted usage. These consumers are spread across areas such as Nigohan, Mohanlalganj, Gosainganj, Amethi, Utretia, Sarojininagar, Banthra, Mohan Road, Kakori, Rahimabad, Malihabad, Mal, and Jetha.
In all, there are more than 9,821 consumers with more than ₹50,000 dues, while Jankipuram has 2,925 defaulters with more than ₹50,000 dues, Gomti Nagar has 1,576 consumers with dues over ₹50,000, and Central Lucknow has 1,183 consumers with over ₹50,000 dues.
In Fatehganj, one consumer owes nearly ₹3 lakh, yet continues to enjoy full electricity supply. Officials say this was made possible by certain contract employees who falsely marked the connection as “disconnected” in government records while allowing regular usage.
Billing collection will be strictly handled by designated teams, while substation engineers focus solely on supply maintenance, said Yogesh Kumar, director (commerce), Madhyanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam. Consumers who have not paid for six consecutive months will be prioritised in the recovery drive.
Chief engineer LESA central Ravi Agarwal said, “The removal of connection is not an easy task, the consumer will have to be reminded first through phone calls. Then he will be given an option of part payment, despite that if the consumer fails to pay up then the connection would be snapped.The work of calling the consumers has already started.”
Rapid response measures
Electricity distribution teams across multiple Lucknow zones reported significant progress on Monday in handling online applications, field inspections, and public grievances.
In Jankipuram, officials processed 38 new online applications received through the “Jhatpat Portal”. Feasibility reports were completed for 15 previously pending applications. Four local help desks logged a total of 107 complaints, including seven related to power supply—all resolved within the day.
In Gomti Nagar, 215 complaints were received on Monday, of which 111 were resolved. Among these, 65 pertained to power supply and were addressed without delay. Out of 75 billing-related complaints, approximately 35 were resolved on-site.
In Lucknow Central Zone, officials revised 236 bills in a single day. In addition to the six established help desks, the zone is also running ten temporary desks to meet rising demand. These centres received 96 complaints, all of which were registered with the 1912 helpline, while 72 were resolved immediately by field teams.
The Amausi Zone recorded 49 complaints across its help desks. Five supply-related issues were rectified promptly, restoring electricity, while the remaining cases were forwarded to the concerned departments for action.
