Lucknow, June 26 -- Amid a regulatory blindspot, the release of 3,252 new commercial power connections across Uttar Pradesh between June 1 and 23, averaging nearly 14 connections a day, has come under scrutiny following the Aliganj fire tragedy due to the scale of the rollout as the Directorate of Power Safety-the agency responsible for certifying electrical installations and ensuring compliance with safety norms-does not appear to have corresponding records of mandatory safety clearances for any of these newly energised connections, officials said.

Of these connections, 796 were released in the Madhyanchal region, which includes Lucknow and several adjoining districts.

Officials familiar with the matter say the situation has exposed a ...