Lucknow Uttar Pradesh’s tryst with power reforms seems to have boomeranged. Close on the heels of Coalgate, which has had the Central government scurrying for cover, a report by the state accountant general (AG) has alleged irregularities in the appointment of Torrent Power (TPL) as the power distribution franchisee (DF) for Agra.

The report also states that the appointment was done with complete disregard to the tendering procedure and has already caused a loss of R489.89 crore to the state exchequer in the first two years since the city was handed over to the company in 2010.