Power theft to the tune of Rs 52.36cr detected

PATIALA: The distribution and enforcement wing of the Punjab state power corporation limited (PSPCL) has detected power theft to the tune of Rs 52.36 crore till September end this year.
Thefts of Rs 3.13 crore have been detected in border zone, including Gurdaspur, Amritsar and Taran Taran, Rs 5.84 crore from north zone, including Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur and Nawashahr, Rs 8.19 crore from central zone, including Ludhiana and Khanna, Rs 6.80 crore from Patiala, Sangrur, Ropar and Mohali districts, while theft of Rs 5.28 crore from west zone, including Bhatinda, Ferozpur, Faridkot and Mukatsar districts have been detected.
"The highest figure of power theft is from central zone, which includes all areas of Ludhiana. It shows that many industrialists are still stealing power in connivance with power department officers. Our department must transfer all our officers to other districts immediately to break this nexus, " said a senior officer of the PSPCL.``
When contacted chief managing director of PSPCL K D Chaudhary said, they have formed special teams to control theft in all over the state and things would improve in coming months.
The enforcement wing checked total 5,60,090 power connections in all five zones and found 25,240 consumers stealing power through meter tampering or overdrawing. The distribution wing checked 75,035 power connections and found 15,810 power thefts.
It all has been happening, despite the Punjab government notifying the formation of anti-power theft police stations at 5 places, including Patiala, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar and Bathinda. These police stations have been lodging FIRs against power thefts.