Lucknow, Apr 19: Uttar Pradesh government today amended the process of payment of electricity bills by urban, local and municipal bodies. All the orders issued earlier regarding payment of electricity bills of nagar nigams, nagar palika parishads, nagar panchayats jal sansthans, river pollution control projects, drinking water supply schemes of jal nigam and various government departments have been cancelled, an official release said. In an order issued by the chief secretary, D S Bagga, it was stated that the amount of power bill arrears outstanding against these bodies till March 31, 2003 would be adjusted with the remaining amount of loans sanctioned earlier to the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd (UPPCL) by the state government.

Subsequently, there will be no outstanding power bill against these bodies for the period till March 31 last. The power bills of these bodies will be verified by the concerning divisional commissioners and district magistrates, the release said. The chief secretary directed the chairman and managing director of UPPCL to ensure that the bills sent to these bodies after April 1, 2003 should show all the outstanding arrears till March 31 last as zero, the release added.
Bureau Report