Chandigarh, September 8
Punjab Power Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO has issued stern directives to the officials of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) to conduct thorough checks across the state to identify and address power theft, aligning with the Punjab government’s zero-tolerance policy against corruption under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
In a statement released on Sunday, he emphasized the Punjab government’s commitment to energy conservation and curbing power theft. He highlighted the importance of regular checks to prevent revenue losses and ensure better services to legitimate power consumers
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The Minister instructed PSPCL authorities to provide daily reports on their checking activities. He mandated that all connections, including domestic, commercial, agricultural, and industrial, should be thoroughly examined. He stressed the need for strict adherence to these instructions, warning of severe consequences for any PSPCL/PSTCL official found involved in power theft.
The Minister announced that he would personally monitor the checking process and the reports submitted by officials. He directed the imposition of penalties and the filing of FIRs against those found guilty of power theft, emphasizing the gravity of this offense, which he equated to corruption.
The Minister acknowledged the commendable work done by the Distribution and Enforcement Wings of PSPCL in recent drives to check power connections and detect thefts. He shared that a total of 81,262 connections have been checked, resulting in the identification of 8,262 cases of theft and the imposition of penalties worth approximately Rs. 13.30 crore.
The Minister provided a breakdown of the results by zone:
- Border Zone Amritsar: 27,285 connections checked, 989 cases of theft detected, penalty of Rs. 3.01 crore imposed.
- West Zone Bathinda: 6,079 connections checked, 872 cases of theft detected, penalty of Rs. 3.03 crore imposed.
- North Zone Jalandhar: 10,718 connections checked, 741 cases of theft detected, penalty of Rs. 1.25 crore imposed.
- Central Zone Ludhiana: 10,699 connections checked, 707 cases of theft detected, penalty of Rs. 2.43 crore imposed.
- South Zone Patiala: 18,096 connections checked, 1,116 cases of theft detected, penalty of Rs. 2.47 crore imposed.
