LUCKNOW, Oct. 30 -- A Lucknow resident who paid Rs.11,622 for a new domestic electricity connection in March is still waiting for power seven months later. He alleged that after he refused to pay a Rs.50,000 bribe, the electricity department issued a revised estimate of Rs.2.24 lakh, prompting state energy minister AK Sharma to order an immediate inquiry on Thursday.

Complainant Abhinav Tripathi, a resident of Khargapur in Gomti Nagar Extension, told Sharma during a public grievance hearing at the minister's residence that he had applied for a 3-kilowatt domestic connection in February 2026. The department issued an estimate of Rs.11,622 on March 1, which he paid. However, the connection was not provided.

Tripathi alleged that an assist...