Compensation to farmers in burning of crops due to short circuit. Corruption in processing compensation application. Now procrastination in the name of fund.
The Price of Negligence: Farmers Trapped Between Short Circuits and Bureaucracy
In the agricultural heartlands of Uttar Pradesh, a farmer’s entire year of labor can be reduced to ash in minutes. When those fires are caused by the aging infrastructure of the electricity department—specifically short circuits—the law provides for compensation. However, for many, the fire is just the beginning of the tragedy.
The case of Yogi M P Singh vs. Purvanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited (PUVVNL), documented under RTI Registration Number PUVNL/R/2025/60167, pulls back the curtain on a systemic failure where bureaucratic procrastination and “fund unavailability” are used as shields to deny farmers their rightful dues.
The Incident: A Four-Year Wait for Justice
The core of this grievance dates back to April 18, 2021. Dayanand Singh, a farmer, watched his wheat crop burn due to a short circuit in the local electrical lines. Under existing regulations, the electricity distribution company is liable for such losses when they result from poor maintenance or technical failure.
Despite the incident being reported and recognized nearly four years ago, the compensation remains unpaid. This delay is not merely an administrative lapse; it is a direct blow to the livelihood of a family that depends on seasonal harvests to survive.
The Paper Trail: A Tale of Two Letters
The RTI application reveals a frustrating cycle of internal communications that lead nowhere. Two specific documents highlight the bottleneck:
- Letter No. 524 (Dated 27.01.2025): Sent by the Electricity Distribution Division-Mirzapur.
- Letter No. 1064 (Dated 18.02.2025): A follow-up by Executive Engineer Manish Kumar Srivastav.
In these letters, the local Mirzapur office explicitly states that they have bills totaling Rs. 40,00,000 (Forty Lakhs) ready to be processed for “electrical human accidents” and crop compensation. However, they cannot upload these invoices onto the ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) portal because the “Profit Center” (PUD6103) has been allocated zero or insufficient budget under the Operation & Maintenance (O&M) head.
Bureaucratic “ERP Lock”: The Modern Wall of Procrastination
The transition to digital governance was supposed to increase transparency. Instead, in this instance, the ERP system is being used as a justification for delay. The local Executive Engineer has effectively told the Director of Finance: “We want to pay, but the computer system won’t let us because you haven’t sent the money.”
By failing to allocate the requested funds to the Mirzapur division, the higher authorities at PUVVNL Varanasi are effectively freezing the compensation process. This creates a convenient “deadlock” where the local office blames the head office, and the head office remains silent, while the farmer suffers.
Allegations of Corruption and Intentional Delay
The RTI applicant, Yogi M P Singh, raises a poignant concern: Corruption in processing. In many administrative setups, “procrastination in the name of funds” is often a tactic used to solicit bribes or to force applicants to give up their claims.
When a government body claims it does not have Rs. 40 lakhs to settle legal compensation claims—while simultaneously managing multi-crore infrastructure projects—the “lack of funds” argument loses its credibility. It points toward a lack of political and administrative will to prioritize the welfare of the agrarian community.
The RTI Demands: Forcing Accountability
The filed RTI (dated March 21, 2025) asks five critical questions that the PIO, Ajat Shatru, must answer:
- What action was taken on the letters requesting the Rs. 40 lakh budget?
- Why is the fund demand being ignored, preventing the upload of invoices?
- What is the specific mechanism for processing fund demands from subordinate offices?
- How long will it take for the staff to actually sanction the money?
By demanding the “notings” (internal comments made by officers on file), the applicant is attempting to unmask which specific individual is sitting on the file.
The Human Cost of “O&M” Deficits
Behind the technical terms like “Profit Center PUD6103” and “O&M Head” are real people. For a farmer who lost his crop in 2021, a four-year delay means four years of potential debt, interest on loans, and lost opportunity. When the state-run power utility fails to maintain its lines, it is a tortious act. Delaying the remedy for that act is a violation of natural justice.
Conclusion
The case of PUVVNL Mirzapur is a microcosm of a larger issue in Indian public administration: the gap between policy and payment. If a public authority is responsible for a loss, the compensation should be a priority, not a budget afterthought.
The response to this RTI will be a litmus test for PUVVNL. Will they continue to hide behind ERP errors and budget heads, or will they finally release the funds to compensate the farmers of Mirzapur?
To assist you in tracking this case and ensuring accountability, here is a structured directory of the contact details and application identifiers based on your RTI filing.
Case Identification & Tracking
| Detail Type | Information |
| RTI Registration Number | PUVNL/R/2025/60167 |
| Date of Filing | 21/03/2025 |
| Primary Subject | Compensation for crop burning (Dayanand Singh, April 2021) |
| Financial Amount at Stake | Rs. 40,00,000.00 (under Profit Center PUD6103) |
| Status | RTI Request Received |
Concerned Public Authority Details
Public Authority: Purvanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited (PUVVNL)
Division: Electricity Distribution Division-II, Mirzapur / Director Finance (Varanasi)
1. Public Information Officer (PIO)
- Name: Ajat Shatru (Executive Engineer, Admin)
- Mobile: 9453047260
- Email:
adovns@gmail.com
2. Nodal Officer (RTI Cell)
- Name: Sandeep Kumar Verma
- Mobile: 9410685556
- Email:
rtipuvvnl@gmail.com
3. Internal Departmental Contacts (Mentioned in Correspondence)
- Executive Engineer (EDD-II Mirzapur): Manish Kumar Srivastav
- Target Office: Director (Finance), P.V.V.N.L., Varanasi
Important Web Links & Resources
- RTI Online Portal (UP): rtionline.up.gov.inUse this to check the status of Registration No: PUVNL/R/2025/60167.
- PUVVNL Official Website: puvvnl.up.nic.inFor departmental circulars and administrative structure.
- UPPCL (Parent Body) Grievance Portal: uppcl.orgIf the RTI does not yield results, you can file a formal complaint here.
- Jansunwai (I GRMS): jansunwai.up.nic.inTo escalate the issue of “procrastination in the name of funds” directly to the Chief Minister’s Office.
Key Evidence for Follow-up
The crux of your case lies in the ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) technicality. You should keep the following letter numbers ready for any physical verification or appeal:
- Letter No. 524 (Dated 27.01.2025)
- Letter No. 1064 (Dated 18.02.2025)
Pro Tip: Since the PIO has 30 days to respond (by April 20, 2025), if you do not receive a satisfactory reply, you should immediately prepare a First Appeal addressed to the First Appellate Authority (FAA) of PUVVNL, citing a “deemed refusal” or “incomplete information.
Would you like me to draft a formal grievance letter to the Managing Director (MD) of PUVVNL regarding the specific budget allocation issue for the Mirzapur division?
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