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Lucknow: After the huge uproar over power cuts amid the scorching heat in Uttar Pradesh, the Yogi government has used a big administrative whip. The department has taken a very strict stand regarding the gross negligence and poor functioning in Uttar Pradesh Power Transmission Corporation (UPPTCL). In view of the increasing anger of the public, the government has suspended two executive engineers with immediate effect. This swift action of the government has created panic among the officials of the electricity department.

This major action has been taken at a time when there is an uproar among the general public regarding unannounced power cuts in many parts of Uttar Pradesh and the anger of the people is continuously reaching the seventh sky.

The blame fell on the officials of Ghaziabad and Meerut.

According to the information received, Executive Engineer Rahul posted in Ghaziabad has been suspended with immediate effect on charges of negligence. Along with suspending him, the department has also issued orders to attach him to Meerut headquarters. Apart from this, another executive engineer Yogesh Kumar working in Meerut has also been punished and the department has also given him a suspension letter.

These two senior officers have been facing serious allegations of gross negligence in their work and not performing their responsibilities properly. Senior officials of the electricity department say that the government is taking the complaints received from across the state regarding the electricity system very seriously. The government has made it clear that any level of negligence that causes trouble to the public will no longer be tolerated.

Electricity failure amid 45 degree torture, people in distress

At this time in Uttar Pradesh, the sun is blazing and it is extremely hot. In many districts of the state the mercury has crossed 40 to 45 degrees Celsius. Constant power cuts amid such deadly temperatures have made people’s lives hell. People are forced to face power cuts for hours in all the small and big cities and rural areas of the state including the capital Lucknow, Meerut, Gonda, Ghaziabad.

Day or night, people are yearning for every drop of water and cool air due to frequent tripping and power failure for hours in many areas. Amidst this unbearable heat and humidity, a situation like suffocation has arisen inside the homes of old people, children and patients.

People took to the streets late at night, surrounded the houses of leaders

Due to this deep electricity crisis, the patience of the people of Uttar Pradesh has completely broken and their anger is coming out openly on the streets. There are reports of people taking to the streets to protest late at night from many areas of the state. Many such videos are becoming increasingly viral on social media, in which people are standing outside electricity offices and on the streets at midnight, raising slogans against the government.

Not only this, at many places angry consumers have expressed their huge displeasure by going outside the houses of local public representatives and leaders of the ruling party. People say that amidst big claims, the continuous cuts in this scorching heat have completely ruined the education of children and the health of sick elderly people.

Smart meter controversy had already increased the headache

Let us tell you that there was a big dispute going on between the electricity department and consumers in Uttar Pradesh for some time regarding prepaid smart meters. In many parts of the state, people had protested heavily against the high speed of these meters and wrong billing. Seeing the increasing anger and opposition of the public, the Yogi government had to come on the back foot and later the government took a big decision to change this prepaid system to postpaid again. But despite this decision, there was no improvement in electricity supply at the ground level, due to which the anger of the people is not showing any signs of decreasing.

Akhilesh and Mayawati surrounded the government, politics intensified

Due to this electricity crisis, now the political temperature in Uttar Pradesh has become very hot and the opposition is continuously attacking the Yogi government. Samajwadi Party chief and former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has described the state’s electricity system as a complete failure and hollow. At the same time, Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati has also raised serious questions on the functioning and claims of the government.

The opposition’s direct allegation is that the government makes tall claims of 24-hour power supply in advertisements, but the ground reality is that the people are forced to suffer in this scorching heat. At present, the government is surrounded from all sides and top officials of the electricity department are continuously holding marathon meetings and reviews to improve the system. The government has indicated that such strict action against negligent officers will continue in the coming days.