Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has directed the State administration to place special emphasis on the timely payment of the outstanding electricity bills of various government departments in the State. He gave the order while chairing a review meeting of Uttarakhand Power Corporation Limited (UPCL) and Power Transmission Corporation of Uttarakhand Limited (PTCUL) held at the State secretariat on Thursday. In the meeting, the CM was informed that various government departments owe UPCL a sum of Rs 539.61 crore in electricity bills.
The CM directed the officers concerned to develop an effective action plan to ensure payment of pending electricity liabilities of government departments. He also directed the release of the remaining funds of approximately Rs 166 crore from the amount approved in the supplementary budget to the department of Power, so that the related work and payment process can be expedited.
In the meeting instructions were given to prioritize the necessary budget allocation for converting the smart meters installed in all government offices and buildings to prepaid mode in the first phase under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) scheme of the Government of India.
The CM also directed to take forward the process related to converting smart meters into prepaid mode. Dhami also directed to take necessary action regarding payment of works carried out under various schemes, availability of funds for capital works and pending dues under the transfer scheme related to division of assets and liabilities between Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.
Discussions were also held on the payment of works related to natural calamity under the Mukhyamantri Solar Self-Employment scheme, budget arrangement for installing prepaid smart meters in government offices and necessary financial provisions to ensure uninterrupted power supply during the winter period in view of the increase in demand for electricity in the State.
In the meeting the managing directors of both the corporations briefed the CM about the current financial situation and financial challenges faced by their respective corporations. Detailed discussions were held regarding improving the corporations’ financial position, ensuring timely payment of pending liabilities and the availability of necessary financial resources. The CM directed the power corporations to improve their financial position, make effective use of available resources and take concrete steps towards settling pending liabilities.
Chief secretary Anand Bardhan, principal secretary RK Sudhanshu, Meenakshi Sundaram and other officers attended the meeting.
