The Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) imposed a disciplinary measure upon four of its officers in Varanasi, requiring them to undertake a "symbolic punishment" by providing meals to residents of two orphanages within the city. This action was taken in response to allegations that the officers had inflated an electricity bill to an excessive amount exceeding Rs 2 lakh, falsely claiming that charges were pending since 1911 for a particular house connection.
Following an investigation by the UP State Information Commission, the officers were found culpable and were instructed to reduce the electricity bill to a more reasonable sum of Rs 3,998. During the proceedings, the commission questioned the officers regarding the plausibility of the bill's historical claims, including whether the UPPCL even existed in 1911 and whether electricity was accessible to residents of Varanasi at that time.
The controversy arose when Uma Shankar Yadav, a resident of Varanasi, was presented with a power bill amounting to Rs 2.24 lakh for a connection purportedly established by his father in 1911. Upon disputing the exorbitant charges, Yadav pursued the matter through various channels, eventually bringing it before the UP State Information Commission in April 2023.
As a form of reparation, the commission opted to impose a "symbolic punishment" on the four UPPCL officers involved in the incident. These officers, namely Superintending Engineer Anil Verma, Executive Engineer RK Gautam, and sub-divisional officers Sarvesh Yadav and Ravi Anand, expressed remorse for their actions and took responsibility for the erroneous billing. Consequently, they were tasked with providing meals to orphanage residents in Varanasi, with a stipulation that expenses not exceed Rs 25,000 for each establishment.
Notably, the commission stressed that under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, any monetary penalties cannot exceed Rs 25,000. Despite repeated summonses, the electricity department officials failed to adequately address inquiries posed by the commission, leading to the issuance of an arrest warrant against them.
