Lucknow, Nov. 17 -- Uttar Pradesh's power distribution authorities have announced that connections of consumers with unpaid bills of Rs.50,000 or more will now be disconnected as they will be fed into computers and software will detect the defaulters immediately.

The move aims to dismantle a long-running nexus in which some consumers-often with the help of substation contract workers- restore disconnected power lines without clearing dues. Under the revamped vertical system, the collection wing has been tasked with recovering outstanding payments from 2.25 lakh defaulters, representing an estimated Rs.75 crore in unpaid revenue.

However, all consumers will be informed through phone calls and given ample time to deposit money before the ...