Lucknow, March 1: A new chapter in rural women’s empowerment has begun in Uttar Pradesh. Under the leadership of Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, the ‘Vidyut Sakhi’ program has set a record in electricity bill collection, recovering over ₹3,227 crore to date.
This initiative, a collaboration between the State Rural Livelihood Mission and Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited, has emerged as a powerful means to economically empower women from rural self-help groups. Deputy Chief Minister Maurya stated that this initiative has significantly increased women’s income and enhanced their respect in society. He described it as an effective step towards women’s empowerment and strengthening the rural economy.
According to Deepa Ranjan, Director of the State Rural Livelihood Mission, over 1.40 crore electricity bills have been collected since the program’s inception, generating more than ₹42 crore in commission. By February 2026, 15,413 active ‘Vidyut Sakhis’ are providing services to consumers in rural areas. During the one-time settlement scheme (OTS) from December 2025 to February 2026, a bill collection of ₹657 crore was recorded, including ₹349 crore in December, ₹188 crore in January, and ₹120 crore in February.
During this period, approximately 17.75 lakh bills were settled, earning over ₹8 crore in commission. Districts such as Saharanpur, Sultanpur, Meerut, and Amethi have shown remarkable performance. Several inspiring individual stories have also emerged, including Soni Dwivedi from Amethi, who collected ₹3.1 crore, Mehr Jahan from Rampur with ₹2.7 crore, and Rajshree Shukla from Barabanki with ₹2.3 crore in bill collections.
Seventy ‘Vidyut Sakhis’ from the state established a new record by collecting over ₹1 crore each during the OTS period. Officials noted that the ‘Vidyut Sakhi’ program is no longer limited to bill collection; it has become a successful model for the economic empowerment of rural women, transparent electricity distribution, and providing door-to-door services to consumers. This initiative showcases that when given the opportunity, women can play a significant role at both administrative and economic levels.
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