The blog post highlights a significant disconnect between the digital promises of “Good Governance” in Uttar Pradesh and the reality of local administrative operations.

Here are the key takeaways:

  • Bureaucratic “Paper Compliance”: The central issue is not just a billing error, but the practice of officials filing false or misleading reports on the Jansunwai (IGRS) portal. By stating a problem will be fixed in “three days” and failing to act for months, the department creates a facade of efficiency that masks underlying inaction.
  • Arbitrary Billing Without Meters: The Electricity Distribution Division 2nd (Mirzapur) is accused of issuing estimated bills rather than installing a functional meter. This violates basic consumer rights and forces payments for electricity that may not have been consumed.
  • Institutional Fear and Harassment: The case illustrates a “bureaucratic trap.” The complainant felt forced to pay arbitrary bills for an unoccupied house because the process of disconnection and eventual reconnection is designed to be so cumbersome and expensive that it acts as a deterrent to seeking a fair resolution.
  • Erosion of Public Trust: When local officials like Executive Engineer Manish Kumar Srivastava fail to honor commitments monitored by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), it lowers the dignity of the state’s grievance redressal systems and contradicts the government’s claims of a “law-and-order” led administration.
  • Call for Consequence Management: The post argues that digital portals are ineffective without accountability. It suggests that until there are real disciplinary consequences for officials who submit misleading status reports, the cycle of administrative apathy will continue.

Administrative Apathy and the Illusion of Governance: The Case of Lalit Mohan Kasera vs. UPPCL

In the digital age, the government of Uttar Pradesh has frequently touted its Jansunwai (IGRS) portal as a beacon of “Good Governance” (Su-shasan). It is presented as a direct bridge between the common citizen and the administration, ensuring that grievances are heard and resolved under the watchful eye of the Chief Minister’s Office. However, the reality on the ground often paints a different, more troubling picture—one of bureaucratic inertia, false reporting, and a systemic lack of accountability.

The ongoing struggle of Lalit Mohan Kasera (Grievance No: GOVUP/E/2025/0038986) serves as a quintessential case study in how administrative mismanagement can turn a simple utility issue into a prolonged saga of mental and financial harassment.


The Core of the Dispute: Arbitrary Billing and Broken Promises

The grievance centers on the Electricity Distribution Division 2nd in Mirzapur, specifically under the jurisdiction of Executive Engineer Mr. Manish Kumar Srivastava. At the heart of the matter is a classic administrative failure: the issuance of arbitrary electricity bills without the foundation of actual meter readings.

For many citizens, electricity bills are not just monthly expenses but legal documents that should reflect actual consumption. In Mr. Kasera’s case, the department has allegedly bypassed the standard operating procedure of meter-based billing, opting instead for estimated or arbitrary figures. This is not merely a clerical error; it is a violation of the consumer’s right to fair billing as mandated by the Electricity Regulatory Commission.


A Timeline of Inaction: The Paper Trail of Neglect

The most damning aspect of this case is not just the billing error itself, but the repeated failure of the department to honor its own written commitments.

  • December 20, 2024: The first grievance (GOVUP/E/2024/0093661) was filed, signaling the start of the formal complaint process.
  • February 7, 2025: A follow-up grievance (GOVUP/E/2025/0013079) was lodged as no progress was made.
  • February 19, 2025: In a formal response (Letter No. 1080), Executive Engineer Manish Kumar Srivastava categorically stated that an electric meter would be installed within three working days, after which the bill would be modified based on actual readings.

Fast forward to April 18, 2025, and the complainant found himself back at square one. Two months had passed since the department’s “three-day” promise, yet no meter was installed, and no bill was corrected. This timeline highlights a disturbing trend: officials are using the Jansunwai portal to submit “disposal reports” that exist only on paper to meet internal KPIs, while the actual problem remains festering on the ground.


Lowering the Dignity of the Chief Minister’s Office

The complainant raises a poignant philosophical and legal question: Does such blatant misinformation not lower the dignity of the public grievance portal?

The Jansunwai portal is monitored by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO). When an Executive Engineer submits a report claiming a matter will be resolved in three days and then fails to act for sixty, it is a direct affront to the authority of the state. It suggests that the local bureaucracy feels a sense of impunity, believing that as long as a “status update” is uploaded, the actual outcome is irrelevant.

This “paper compliance” creates a facade of efficiency. On the dashboard of the CMO, the grievance might appear as “processed” or “resolved,” but for the citizen, the “lawlessness and anarchy” (as described by Mr. Kasera) remains the lived reality. This gap between digital data and ground reality is where the trust in democratic institutions begins to erode.


The Consumer’s Dilemma: The Trap of Reconnection Fees

A unique facet of this case is the psychological and financial burden placed on the consumer. Mr. Kasera noted that the premises in question (Account No: 2521372000, under the name of Neelam Devi) are currently unoccupied. Despite not living there, he continued to pay bills to avoid the “cumbersome proceedings” and “huge amounts” associated with official disconnection and future reconnection.

This is a form of institutional extortion. The fear of a complex, bureaucratic nightmare forces citizens to pay for services they aren’t even using. The department’s failure to install a meter—which would prove zero consumption in an empty house—serves the department’s interests by maintaining a steady stream of arbitrary revenue at the expense of an honest citizen.


The Role of Leadership: A Call for Accountability

The grievance is currently under the perusal of Shri Arvind Mohan, Joint Secretary at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat. The eyes of the public are now on the Lucknow administration to see if they will hold the Mirzapur division accountable.

Good governance cannot be achieved through portals and apps alone; it requires consequence management. If an Executive Engineer submits a misleading report to a state-monitored portal, there must be disciplinary repercussions. Without accountability, the Jansunwai portal risks becoming a “black hole” where complaints go to be theoretically resolved but practically ignored.


Conclusion: The Path Forward

The demand of the complainant is simple, logical, and legally sound:

  1. Immediate Installation: Install the meter as promised in February.
  2. Bill Rectification: Reverse the arbitrary charges and bill according to actual (or zero) consumption.
  3. Administrative Audit: Investigate why the reports submitted on February 19th were never implemented.

Lalit Mohan Kasera’s struggle is not just about a ₹391 bill or a missing meter; it is a fight against a system that feels it is above the people it serves. For the slogan of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas” to hold weight in Mirzapur, the Electricity Department must transition from a culture of “submitting reports” to a culture of “solving problems.

To address the issues regarding arbitrary billing and non-compliance by the electricity department in Mirzapur, the following contact details and resources for the relevant public authorities are provided.

1. Local Authority: Electricity Distribution Division (EDD-II), Mirzapur

The primary official responsible for your case is the Executive Engineer of Division 2nd.

DetailContact Information
Officer NameMr. Manish Kumar Srivastava
DesignationExecutive Engineer (EDD-II), Mirzapur
Mobile Number9450963598
Email Addressee.2mirzapur@puvvnl.in
Personal Mobile05442-252008

2. State Authority: Chief Minister Secretariat, Lucknow

Since your grievance is currently “Under Process” with the CMO, you can reach out to the Joint Secretary for escalation regarding the false reports submitted by the local division.

DetailContact Information
Officer NameShri Arvind Mohan
DesignationJoint Secretary, Chief Minister Office
Phone (Lok Bhawan)0522-2226350
Direct Phone0522-2226354
Official Emailarvind.12574@gov.in
Alternate Emailjansunwai-up@gov.in (Technical/General Support)

3. Higher Management: Purvanchal Vidyut Vitaran Nigam Ltd. (PuVVNL)

If local officials fail to act, the Managing Director’s office in Varanasi oversees all Mirzapur operations.

  • Managing Director (PuVVNL): Shri Shambhu Kumar, IAS
  • Phone: 0542-2318437
  • Email: md@puvvnl.in
  • Superintending Engineer (Mirzapur Circle): Shri Ram Das (9415304000; se.mirzapur@puvvnl.in)

4. Important Web Links & Portals

  • Jansunwai (Samadhan) Portal:jansunwai.up.nic.in
    • Use this to track your existing grievance numbers: GOVUP/E/2025/0038986 and GOVUP/E/2025/0013079.
  • UPPCL Consumer Portal:www.uppcl.org
    • For “Self Bill Generation” or to register a formal departmental complaint.
  • PuVVNL Official Website: puvvnl.in

Actionable Next Steps

  1. Send a Direct Email: Use the emails provided above to send a formal PDF letter to the Joint Secretary (arvind.12574@gov.in) and the MD (md@puvvnl.in). Mention that the Executive Engineer’s report dated 19th Feb 2025 (Letter No. 1080) contained false promises that were never fulfilled.
  2. Call the Helpline: Dial 1912 (UPPCL Toll-Free) to register a “Non-Compliance of IGRS Order” complaint. This is a separate internal tracking system.

Would you like me to draft the specific text for an email to the Joint Secretary to highlight the “false reporting” aspect of your case?

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