Rishi Raj Singh, Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) Chief Vigilance Officer, has said the Anti-Power Theft Squad (APTS) functioning under the Vigilance wing of the Board has imposed a penalty of Rs.22.03 crore in 2,945 cases during the past 177 days.
Speaking to media persons here on Tuesday, Mr. Singh said the wing had conducted as many as 19,320 inspections related to power theft and other anomalies during the period, and it charged 2,945 cases including 637 power theft and 2,288 other anomalies.
Four types of power thefts were found during inspections including misusing the metre, unauthorised extension, unauthorised additional load and tariff misuse, he said.
Mr. Singh said the highest number of power theft was reported from Wayanad district.
Idukki stood second. As many as 192 cases had been reported in Wayanad. A penalty of Rs.1.36 crore was imposed during the period.
Special drives
Apart from routine check, special drives had also been launched to prevent power theft, for which all the anti-power theft squads in each district were equipped with modern apparatus, he added. The drives will be intensified in the coming days, he said.
“The wing has intensified measures to resume an alleged land encroachment on KSEB’s land at Munnar in Idukki district, and as a part of it, a special team has been constituted to investigate the issue,” Mr. Singh said, adding all encroachments on the land would be evicted with the help of the local police after the investigation.
Arrears
The KSEB had to get an arrears of Rs.1,000 crore from various government agencies and private institutions, of which the Kerala Water Authority alone had to pay an arrears of Rs.600 crore, Mr. Singh said.
Public can inform the KSEB officials on power theft or other anomalies at 0471-2444554 or 9446008006.
They will be rewarded, Mr. Singh said.
Most power theft cases reported from Wayanad
Squads equipped with modern apparatus
