The Anti-Power Theft Squad (APTS) of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) has decided to tighten its grip to expose suspected attempts of power pilfering and misuse of domestic and commercial connections.
This is as part of the KSEB’s adoption of stringent power-saving measures to meet the summer challenges.
Following a direction from the board, a district-level squad comprising four KSEB engineers and a Civil Police Officer will go through the various complaints related to the diversion of agricultural power connections for other industrial purposes.
Unpermitted additional connections violating the KSEB rules too will be considered seriously for penalising actions.
As per the latest KSEB records, the Anti-Power Theft Squad led by an Assistant Executive Engineer in the district has so far exposed 96 irregularities, including major power thefts, since the beginning of this year.
The total fine imposed on the violators within this three months will come around Rs.35 lakh.
“As majority of the traced consumers have admitted the irregularities reported on their part and agreed to pay the fine amount, we have excluded them from further prosecution measures,” say officers who are currently part of the squad.
Of the total irregularities traced, five have been under the category of power thefts, they add.
Though majority of the already traced cases belong to the category of minor offences, the attempts of power theft have been taken up very seriously by the squad.
“The five persons who were netted during the term remitted Rs.4.88 lakh to the government exchequer as part of the stern actions,” officials add.
Along with the district-level squad, the northern region squad and the special squad from Thiruvananthapuram too will strengthen their field operations based on complaints from various sources and the findings of the KSEB’s engineering wing. Squad members say that they are well-equipped with all modern devices to track the suspected power leakage and inspect the spot on time.