The Fact News Service
Patiala, November 27
Following directives of CMD, PSPCL Er. Baldev Singh Saran, and Director/Distribution Er. DIPS Grewal, joint inspections are being conducted by teams from the Operation Wing and Enforcement Wing to curb electricity theft as part of a campaign in the South Zone.
Chief Engineer Er. Rattan Kumar Mittal shared on Tuesday that 1,50,874 connections have been inspected under this campaign, identifying 8,750 cases of power theft, Unauthorised Extension, or unauthorized usage of electricity. Culprits have been charged approximately Rs.28 crore, and FIRs are being registered against offenders under the provisions of the Electricity Act, 2003.
The campaign has seen inspections of 43,283 connections in Patiala, 33,986 in Sangrur, 15,262 in Barnala, 46,494 in Rupnagar, and 11,849 in Mohali. Cases of power theft and unauthorised usage were detected as follows: 2,438 in Patiala, 2,777 in Sangrur, 1,416 in Barnala, 1,326 in Rupnagar, and 793 in Mohali. Defaulters have been charged Rs.645.67 lakh in Patiala, Rs.614.32 lakh in Sangrur, Rs.394.80 lakh in Barnala, Rs.284.91 lakh in Rupnagar, and Rs.897.10 lakh in Mohali.
The Chief Engineer/Distribution South Patiala has directed that operations and mass raids will continue on a war footing, ensuring that dues are recovered from defaulters while legal actions, including FIRs, are pursued to prevent revenue loss. The campaign has achieved notable success so far and will be sustained in the future.
Consumers are urged to report incidents of electricity theft by calling 96461-75770 or using WhatsApp, with assurances of confidentiality for informants. The Chief Engineer also appealed to consumers to refrain from stealing electricity.
He further told that action has been initiated to disconnect power connections of defaulting consumers in the South Zone, and all consumers with outstanding bills are advised to clear their dues immediately to avoid inconvenience.
He further told that to facilitate defaulting consumers, the department has introduced a consumer-friendly One-Time Settlement (OTS) Scheme for clearing outstanding dues as of September 30, 2023. This scheme includes waivers on surcharges and 50% interest relief on the principal amount of bills. Eligible domestic, commercial, and industrial consumers are encouraged to get maximum benefit of this scheme.
