DW BUREAU / Chandigarh

In accordance with zero tolerance policy of the Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab Government against power thefts, a special checking drive was carried out on Saturday in five zones - Amritsar, Bathinda, Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Patiala of the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL).

Disclosing this in a press communique issued here on Sunday, the Power Minister Punjab Harbhajan Singh ETO added that the checking drive was carried out jointly by the Distribution and Enforcement wing of PSPCL. During this checking, a total 28,487 power connections were checked in all the five zones. Out of these checked connections, a total 2,075 cases of power theft were detected and a penalty of Rs.4.64 Crore was imposed on erring consumers.

Giving zone-wise details, the Minister said 438 cases of power thefts were detected in Amritsar Zone and penalty of Rs.1.10 Crore was imposed on the consumers indulging into the power theft. In Bathinda Zone, 527 cases were detected and a penalty of Rs.1.41 Crore was imposed. In Ludhiana Zone, 323 cases were detected and a penalty of Rs.90 lakh was imposed. In Jalandhar Zone, 340 cases were detected and a penalty of Rs.50 lakh was imposed. Similarly, in Patiala Zone, 447 cases were detected and penalty of Rs.74 lakh was imposed on erring consumers.

Further, the Minister said besides imposing penalty, FIRs have been registered and legal action has been initiated against erring consumers. He said that the ongoing drive against power thefts would ultimately minimise the number of cases of power thefts upto maximum level. He said the drive was the need of the hour to curb the menace of power theft. He appealed to power consumers not to indulge in such malpractices.

The Minister said the mass checking drive would continue in future too. He appealed to all the power consumers to help the the Power Department in controlling the menace of theft of electricity by providing information about such activities in their respective areas. He also appealed to everyone to regularise their electricity connections so that they should be brought under the system. He appreciated the PSPCL officials for successfully running the drive against power thefts.

Meanwhile, emphasizing the importance of energy conservation for the state's economic growth and sustainability, the Power Minister stressed that every unit saved counts and appealed to the public to adopt energy-saving habits in their daily lives. "Conserving power is crucial for ensuring a stable energy supply, reducing our reliance on fossil fuels, and mitigating the impact of climate change," he added.
(editor@dailyworld.in)