Power Minister Loses Cool At 'Incompetence' Of Officials, Warns Them To Fall In Line, Address Problems Of The People

Lucknow, July 24 (TNA) Uttar Pradesh Energy Minister AK Sharma reverted to his signature tough avatar during a high-level meeting with power department officials on Wednesday. After hearing out the UPPCL Chairman and others, the minister did not mince words, stating outright that he was not there to listen to their "nonsense" and that the ground reality was vastly different from what the officials were reporting.

He accused the officers of ignoring public concerns and compared their actions to those of the police, saying false reports were being sent up the chain of command. The minister lambasted the department for acting more like a business focused only on bill collection, rather than as a service to the public.

He also strongly objected to cutting off entire feeders or village power lines, pointing out the injustice done to consumers who pay their bills on time, yet still suffer from the department’s failure to replace burnt transformers or upgrade infrastructure. The minister went so far as to claim that the power department seemed to be intentionally working to tarnish his reputation.

Highlighting glaring administrative lapses, he cited examples where computer glitches led to ordinary people receiving bills worth ₹72 crore, with officials reportedly demanding bribes to rectify the errors. He also criticised the vigilance team's failure to raid actual hotspots of power theft, instead targeting the wrong people and allegedly extorting money under the pretext of FIRs.

Stating that mere verbal instructions were no longer being heeded, the minister demanded that all actions and decisions be put in writing. Issuing a stern warning against arbitrary behaviour, he reminded officers that he is answerable to both the public and the Assembly. The consequences of poor and untimely decisions, he said, are being borne by the entire state.

Issues such as the arbitrary dismissal of contract workers, lack of response to public complaints, and negligence towards electrical accidents were also addressed by the minister. After this intense session, jittery officials are now expected to amend their ways in the hope of bringing genuine reform to the department.