With low-metered sales recorded in Nellore district, aqua culture units spread along the coastal areas here have come under the scanner as 14 teams of the AP Southern Power Distribution Company Ltd (SPDCL) conducted massive raids on Thursday.
Upon detection of power pilferages in many instances, the officials booked cases against nine aqua units located in Chillakur, Gudur, Manubolu and other areas.
The aqua units were found ‘bypassing the meters’ through illegal means and this caused huge loss to the revenues of the APSPDCL in the district. Heavy penalties ranging up to ₹6 lakh were imposed on the units’ managements.
SPDCL Vigilance SE V. Ravi told The Hindu that the crackdown on the aqua units was taken up against the backdrop of a low-metered sales of only 71.5% being reported in Nellore district regardless of the fact that here the aqua and other industries were thriving over the past few decades. In Krishna and Guntur districts, the metered sales were as high as 82 % and 84%.
“We will conduct many more such surprise raids in the coming days. Our expectation is to raise the metered sales by a minimum of 7 to 8 % immediately,” he said.
