With protests over long power cuts and installation of smart electric meters turning into a major political issue in Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday held a marathon review meeting and directed the power department to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply in every village and city.Chairing a high-level meeting with Energy Minister AK Sharma, Minister of State Kailash Rajput, and senior officials of the Energy Department, Power Corporation, and DISCOMs, the chief minister ordered strict feeder-wise accountability and warned that negligence in restoring transformers, handling complaints, or maintaining supply would not be tolerated.Stating that electricity supply was directly linked to farmers, industries, businesses, and daily life, Adityanath said, “Ensuring uninterrupted and reliable power during the peak summer season remains the government’s top priority.”The intervention comes at a time when the BJP government is facing sharp criticism from Opposition parties, and even its own MLAs, over electricity supply disruptions during the intense summer heat. The power crisis has emerged as a sensitive public issue ahead of the Assembly elections scheduled for early next year.At the Sunday’s meeting, officials told the chief minister that the peak electricity demand of Uttar Pradesh has touched a record high of 30,339 MW this year, while average daily demand has jumped sharply from 5,010 lakh units to 5,610 lakh units compared to last year. The government also claimed that UP remained among the top power-consuming states in the country on May 20, 21, and 22 despite severe pressure on the electricity grid.“The chief minister was informed that Uttar Pradesh’s total electricity generation capacity has now reached 13,388 MW, including 9,120 MW from thermal power plants such as Anpara, Obra, Harduaganj, Parichha, Jawaharpur, and Panki. Hydroelectric projects are contributing 526.4 MW, while another 3,742 MW is being supplied through joint venture projects including Meja, Ghatampur, and Khurja,” an official said, adding that as compared to 2022, the state’s installed generation capacity has increased by nearly 86 per cent by 2026.Moreover, around 10,000 MW of electricity is currently being generated through renewable and non-conventional energy sources.Story continues below this adBetween 2015 and 2026, Uttar Pradesh tied up a total electricity capacity of 32,305 MW, with nearly 62 per cent added in the last three years alone, said the official.“Another 10,719 MW capacity of electricity is planned by 2029 through wind, battery storage, pumped hydro, and hybrid energy projects,” the official added.Reviewing the transmission network, the chief minister called for making the system “stronger, modern and reliable” to avoid breakdowns during extreme weather conditions.Officials informed the CM that Uttar Pradesh currently operates 60,858 circuit kilometres of transmission lines with 715 substations and a total transmission capacity of 2,05,632 MVA. Transmission availability has reportedly improved to 99.30 percent, while transmission losses have reduced to 3.2 percent.Story continues below this adThe chief minister also reviewed damage caused by recent storms and heatwave conditions in the state. Officials told the CM that strong winds and storms on May 4, 7 and 15 affected 38 substations and 326 feeders, but restoration work was completed rapidly through emergency response systems. “Keep rapid-response teams active throughout the summer and ensure immediate restoration in case of feeder disruptions or transformer failures,” the chief minister added.Sensing rising public frustration over outages and billing complaints, Adityanath focused on consumer grievance handling and communication systems. He directed ministers to physically inspect the 1912 electricity helpline call centres in Lucknow and Noida and review their functioning. Officials informed the CM that the integrated helpline system launched in November 2025 has increased call-handling capacity from 75,000 to 90,000 calls daily.The chief minister instructed officials to ensure consumers are informed not just about outages, but also exactly when electricity supply will be restored. “Merely registering complaints is not enough. Consumers must receive clear and timely information,” he said.In a significant move amid controversy surrounding the installation of smart prepaid meters, which has been discontinued for now, the government said that all consumers shifted to smart meters would continue under the postpaid billing system.Story continues below this adOfficials said nearly 89.23 lakh smart meters have already been installed across the state. From June 2026, smart meter consumers will receive monthly postpaid bills between the 1st and 10th of every month through SMS, WhatsApp, and e-mail.The state government is also running special camps from May 15 to June 30 across the state to address smart meter-related complaints and billing issues.