Bhubaneswar: Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo has directed the discoms in Odisha not to disconnect power supply to domestic consumers over unpaid electricity bills during this summer.

According to Singh Deo, no unscheduled power cuts will be permitted by any discom for non-payment of bills by domestic consumers. “Power interruptions, if any, shall be allowed only for essential repair or maintenance work. All such scheduled interruptions must be widely publicized through SMS alerts and public address systems to inform consumers in advance,” said Singh Deo, who also holds the Energy portfolio.

The Deputy Chief Minister asked all relevant departments, agencies, and discoms to sensitize their personnel about the directive. He also asked the agencies to establish a robust monitoring mechanism to ensure strict compliance with the announcement, thereby providing relief to household consumers during the summer.

Energy Department Additional Chief Secretary Vishal Kumar Deb has been instructed to oversee the implementation of these measures and submit a report for review.