Lucknow: In a significant move to address pending electricity bill issues, Uttar Pradesh’s Minister for Urban Development and Energy, A.K. Sharma, has announced the third and final phase of the One-Time Settlement (OTS) scheme. The scheme aims to provide substantial relief to consumers by waiving surcharges on overdue electricity bills. This phase, which commenced on January 16, will continue until January 31, offering consumers a 16-day window to register and benefit from the scheme.
Minister Sharma urged consumers to take advantage of this last opportunity to clear their dues. He emphasized that such benefits would not be offered again. To enroll, consumers must register at their nearest electricity centers or through official channels, including divisional offices, sub-divisional offices, cash counters, public service centers, or the department’s website.
Eligibility and Benefits
Consumers can avail themselves of the benefits by depositing 30% of their outstanding principal bill amount (as of September 30, 2024). Key highlights of the scheme include:
- Domestic Consumers (up to 1 kW load with dues up to ₹5,000):
- One-time payment: 70% surcharge waiver.
- Installment payment: 55% surcharge waiver.
- Domestic Consumers (up to 1 kW load with dues above ₹5,000):
- One-time payment: 50% surcharge waiver.
- Installment payment: 40% surcharge waiver.
- Consumers with Load Above 1 kW (Domestic, Commercial, Private Institutions, Small & Medium Industries):
- One-time payment: 40% surcharge waiver.
- Installment payment: 30% surcharge waiver.
- Farmers with Private Tubewells:
- Eligible for surcharge waivers on overdue bills up to March 31, 2023.
Conditions and Payment Options
To register, consumers must provide their latest electricity bill and mobile number. Payments can be made either in one go or in installments through the same channels. However, failure to pay within the specified time after registration will lead to forfeiture of the scheme’s benefits, and penalties will be reimposed.
The OTS scheme also addresses disputed and court-pending cases. Consumers opting for this resolution must agree to withdraw their cases post-payment. Additionally, incentives will be provided to collection agencies for recovering payments from long-due and inactive accounts.
Previous Success
The first and second phases of the scheme witnessed overwhelming participation, with 30,09,420 consumers benefiting from the initiative, generating ₹2,335.62 crore in revenue. The regional distribution of beneficiaries included:
- South Zone: 5,43,044 consumers
- Kesco Zone: 7,806 consumers
- Central Zone: 8,55,108 consumers
- East Zone: 9,42,313 consumers
- West Zone: 6,61,149 consumers
Minister’s Appeal
The OTS scheme was introduced under the guidance of Hon’ble Prime Minister and the directives of Hon’ble Chief Minister, during a program in Mau on November 30, 2024. Minister Sharma appealed to all consumers to seize this opportunity for maximum benefits and ensure timely payments to reduce their financial burden.
This initiative highlights the government’s commitment to consumer welfare and efficient revenue collection in the energy sector. Consumers are encouraged to act promptly and register before the January 31 deadline.