Lucknow: In a move to improve power situation in drought affected areas, Uttar Pradesh Government has asked the UP Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) to ensure power supply to such districts as per the roster.

“Power in drought affected areas of the state should be supplied as per the roster and defunct transformers should be replaced immediately,” chief minister Mayawati said during a meeting with the energy department officials last evening.

Directing the officials to check power pilferage, she asked them to initiate stern action against those who indulge in power theft.

“Complaints of the farmers should be disposed of at the earliest,” she said.

Holding the previous state governments responsible for the present power crisis in Uttar Pradesh, she said, they did not do anything to increase the generation.

“The present government has taken steps to implement extensive power reforms in the state and owing to short and long term schemes UP will become a power surplus state in the next few years,” she claimed.

Stating that measures were being taken to ensure 10 hours power supply to drought affected areas, the energy department officials claimed “an additional power supply of about Rs 1,000 crore had been provided to the farmers so far and it would touch Rs2,000 crore mark by month end”.

They said that 62 new sub-stations were being constructed and 53 ones were being upgraded at a cost of Rs1,050 crore.