After buses, electricity poles to go saffron in UP

Lucknow: After saffron buses in Uttar Pradesh, it is now time for saffron painted electricity poles. The Yogi Adityanath government, which has decided to regularise all illegal power connections, will now paint all electricity poles in these localities in saffron.

“We will be colour coding the electricity poles in unauthorised colonies that have been regularised.  This is being done under the ‘Power for All’ scheme”, said Mr Alok Kumar, principal secretary energy.

Mr Sudhir Kumar Verma, managing director of Dakshinanchal Power Distribution Company, said, “Coloring the poles saffron is being planned for easy identification”.

According to UPPCL estimates, there are over 30,000 colonies where legitimate electricity connections are to be provided. Lucknow alone is estimated to have over 350 unauthorised and undeveloped colonies. UPPCL’s move to colour electricity poles saffron comes after the state-owned UP State Transport Corporation announced its decision to paint its buses saffron.

It has now become an established practice to paint public utilities in the color of the ruling political party in the state. Cycle tracks and buses in the Samajwadi Party regime were painted in shades of red and green which is the colour of the party flag while Ms Mayawati, in the BSP regime, had got all signage painted in blue. Even the uniform of traffic constables was changed to blue in keeping with the party colour.