Bhubaneswar: In a major relief for domestic consumers amid the intense summer heat, Odisha Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo on Monday directed that no household electricity connections be disconnected due to non-payment of bills until the onset of the monsoon.
The Deputy Chief Minister, who also holds the Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment and Energy portfolios, further instructed that no unscheduled power cuts shall be carried out by any distribution companies (DISCOMs) on account of unpaid dues by domestic consumers.
He clarified that power interruptions, if required, will be permitted strictly for essential repair and maintenance works. Such scheduled outages must be communicated in advance through SMS alerts and public address systems to ensure that consumers are adequately informed.
Singh Deo urged all concerned departments, agencies, and DISCOMs to sensitize their field-level personnel about the directive and ensure its strict implementation. He also called for the establishment of a robust monitoring mechanism to oversee compliance and provide relief to households during the peak summer period.
The Additional Chief Secretary of the Energy Department has been tasked with supervising the execution of these measures and submitting an action taken report for review.
