SATISH HANDA
Amount worth Rs 49 crore was recovered towards fine in a campaign against power thefts in Haryana state during this year when vigilance teams of state electricity department conducted three raids this year in months February, July and in recent couple of days all over in the state. During current festival season on the information of vigilance department that power supply being misused in the state vigilance teams conducted 22183 surprise checking raids in the premises of domestic, commercial and industrial consumers recently with the help of 978 teams for two days in the state and detected 3729 cases of power theft of 7705 KW electricity and collected fine worth Rs 13 crore.
Information reveals, nearly 15% electricity consumers in the state were found involved in power theft tampering the electric meter, direct supply from electric pole and using higher load. Disclosing data of power thefts, Additional Chief Secretary P.K. Das said that involvement of staff and officers as well their neglect in this regard cannot be denied and action will be taken against those responsible for financial losses to the government. According to available information, in past two days 3729 raids in a campaign against power thefts Rohtak district leads having maximum number of 832 theft cases in 6830 raids and collected fine worth Rs 327 lakh, followed by385 theft cases in 1599 raids at Hisar and collected Rs 59 lakh fine from consumers misusing electricity. 371 power theft cases were detected in 1070 raids at Bhiwani in which fine fine worth Rs 61 lakh was collected, 265 power thefts were detected in 455 raids in which fine worth Rs 53 lakh was collected at Palwal, 257 thefts were detected in 1287 raids in which Rs 105 lakh fine was collected at Panipat and Rs 61 lakh fine was collected in 208 theft cases at Kurukshetra in 1406 raids.
Information also reveals that Rs 137 lakh fine was collected in 665 raids where electricity theft was detected in 217 premises at Faridabad, Rs 91 lakh fine was collected in 1513 raids in 203 theft cases at Kaithal, Rs 65 lakh fine was collected in 181 theft cases in 1829 raids at Sonepat, Rs 289 lakh fine was collected in 328 theft cases in 776 raids at Gurugram, Rs 30 lakh fine was collected in 166 cases of power theft in 1393 raids at Ambala, Rs 35 crore fine was collected in 127 cases of power theft in 1318 raids at Jhajjar, Rs 66 lakh fine was collected in 141 theft cases in 957 raids at Fatehabad, Rs 31 lakh fine was recovered in 122 theft cases in 219 raids at Narnaul, Rs 39 lakh fine was collected in 118 cases of theft in 651 raids at Jind, Rs 37 lakh fine was collected in137 cases of theft in 2146 raids at Yamunanagar, Rs 26 lakh fine was collected in 111 theft cases in 878 raids at Rewari, Rs 17 lakh fine was collected in 78 theft cases in 257 raids at Sirsa, Rs 63 lakh fine was collected in 136 theft cases in 1433 raids at Karnal and Rs 15 lakh fine was collected in 47 cases of theft in 1408 raids at Panchkula.
Information reveals, teams conducted raids had to face tough time while taking action against those involved in power thefts at Rohtak when residents of area locked the members of raiding team in a room when village Sarpanch intervened into the matter and they were released. The team members were manhandled by the residents of area also damaged the official vehicle at Jind and in Ambala district raiding team members had a tough time with consumers found involved in power theft, later released after a compromise.
