LUCKNOW, Jan. 4 -- Even as smart prepaid electricity meters are promoted nationally as a guarantee of uninterrupted cash flow for power distribution utilities and a solution to chronic bill defaults, nearly 30 lakh or 80% of the prepaid consumers in Uttar Pradesh are currently drawing electricity despite having exhausted their meter balance, according to UP Power Corporation Ltd's (UPPCL) internal data accessed by HT. The situation exposes serious gaps in enforcement of the prepaid metering system.

UPPCL internal data reveals that of the total 37,43,613 prepaid consumers around 29,89,516 consumers across Uttar Pradesh, as in the last week of December, were operating on negative balance, with unpaid dues amounting to Rs.879 crore even as ...