LUCKNOW, Jan. 6 -- Uttar Pradesh's one-time settlement (OTS) scheme for power theft has received a tepid response, with just 12% of eligible consumers enrolling despite substantial waivers on offer. The scheme, branded as Bijli Bill Rahat Yojana, covers penalty and compounding charges in cases of alleged power pilferage, along with regular dues. Official data shows 6.26 lakh power theft cases eligible for settlement as of January 1, 2026, involving assessed dues of Rs 6,367.23 crore and compounding charges of Rs 560.80 crore across five discoms. However, only 75,277 cases have been registered so far, translating into a participation rate of 12%. Acknowledging challenges, UPPCL director (Commercial) Prashant Vema said, "We will analyse reasons for the limited traction from consumers booked under power theft cases and act accordingly. Currently, we are focusing on normal arrears." The discoms have collected Rs 188.38 crore so far, Rs 149.63 crore towards assessment dues and Rs 38.75 crore as compounding charges. On January 3, collections stood at Rs 4.57 crore. Among discoms, DVVNL (Dakshinanchal) leads in absolute numbers with 24,773 registrations, followed by PVVNL (Paschimanchal) at 24,033. However, in percentage terms, Purvanchal (PUVNL) shows the highest participation rate at 15.3%, while KESCO (Kanpur) lags with just 8% registration. A senior energy department official said the low enrolment indicates a deeper structural issue. "Either the deterrence value of enforcement remains weak or a large segment of consumers continues to stay outside the formal billing system," the official said....