Kumaon Commissioner and Secretary to the Chief Minister Deepak Rawat has directed the Uttarakhand Power Corporation Limited (UPCL) to name every affected village and colony in electricity outage notices published in newspapers. The instruction applies to areas supplied by the concerned feeder in Haldwani and surrounding locations.
The order is intended to make power-cut information easier for consumers to understand. Rawat issued the direction to the chief engineers of UPCL in Haldwani and Rudrapur after expressing displeasure with the existing notification system.
Why feeder-only notices create confusion
Power-cut notices often mention only the name of the feeder connected with the interruption. For many consumers, that technical reference does not clearly identify whether their village, neighbourhood or colony will be affected.
As a result, residents may remain uncertain about whether electricity will be disconnected in their area, and when the supply is expected to be interrupted. The new instruction requires UPCL to provide location details that consumers can recognise directly.
The published notices will now have to include all villages and colonies affected by the relevant feeder. This would give residents more practical information than a feeder name alone.
Instructions issued to UPCL officials
Rawat has directed the chief engineers in Haldwani and Rudrapur to ensure that the names of affected areas are included whenever power-cut information is published in newspapers.
The move places responsibility on the power utility to present outage information in a clear, consumer-focused format. It also seeks to reduce the information gap created by technical departmental language.
The issue is particularly relevant for consumers who need to plan household, business and other routine activities around a scheduled interruption. However, the available information does not specify a separate timetable for implementing the revised notices.
Rawat said that officials who do not take the instructions seriously could face strict action. The warning indicates that compliance will be monitored through the department’s handling of future power-cut announcements.
What consumers can expect
Residents should look for the names of their villages, colonies or other affected areas in newspaper notices issued by UPCL. A feeder name may continue to appear, but the directive requires the corresponding localities to be identified as well.
The order does not announce any change to the duration or frequency of power cuts. Its focus is on how the utility communicates scheduled interruptions to consumers.
Conclusion
The directive requires UPCL to make Haldwani and Rudrapur power-cut notices more specific by naming affected villages and colonies, with possible strict action for officials who fail to follow it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What has Deepak Rawat directed UPCL to do?
He has directed UPCL to include the names of all affected villages and colonies in newspaper notices about power cuts.
Q. Why are feeder-only notices difficult for consumers?
A feeder is a technical reference, and consumers may not know which local areas it supplies. The notice can therefore leave them uncertain about whether their locality will lose power.
Q. Which UPCL officials received the instruction?
The direction was issued to the chief engineers of UPCL in Haldwani and Rudrapur.
Q. Where must the revised information be published?
The affected villages and colonies must be named in newspaper notices about electricity interruptions.
Q. Does the order change the duration of power cuts?
No such change has been announced. The instruction concerns the clarity and local detail provided in outage notices.
Q. What action may follow non-compliance?
Rawat said officials who do not take the instructions seriously may face strict action.
