Lucknow, Feb. 20 -- Energy minister AK Sharma told the state assembly on Thursday that the state government has not yet decided to privatise power distribution companies (discoms). He added that if such a decision is finalised in the public interest, it will be announced. Sharma also said there has been no strike by power employees on the privatisation issue, except by a few leaders who are "running shops" to serve their interest. The minister was replying to the adjournment motion by Samajwadi Party MLA HN Singh Patel on irregular power supply and various surcharges imposed by the energy department on consumers. When Opposition parties were in power, they opened the doors to private players in the power sector, the minister said. In the last six years, the state government did not increase UP's domestic power tariff, which is the lowest in the country, he said. The peak power demand in Uttar Pradesh was 31,486 megawatt and the state also had the highest power supply in the country, he added. The per capita power consumption in the state had increased from 500 units to 724 units, he said. The state government was giving free power to the farmers and 15 lakh new connections were given under the BJP government, he said. The ratings of discoms had improved at the national level and the production of solar power had also increased, he said. Rejecting Opposition allegations, Sharma said the energy department had not received any complaints about smart meters after their installation....