PSPCL detects 1,108 cases of thefts during mass checking drive conducted today

Patiala, August 10, 2024: Under directions of Power Minister Punjab Harbhajan Singh ETO, a mass checking drive was conducted in five zones of Punjab State Electricity Board (PSPCL), to check cases of theft, unauthorised use of electricity (UUE) and unauthorised extension of load (UE)and others on Saturday.

Giving more information, the PSPCL Director (Distribution) Er. DPS Grewal, added that the staff members, including Chief Engineers, XEns and SDOs conducted surprise checking at various places in all the five zones during which a total 26,599 power collections were checked. During checking, a total 1,149 cases of thefts were detected and an amount of Rs.437.54 lakhs were charged to defaulters. A total 219 cases of UUE were detected and an amount of Rs.33.70 lakh was charged. Similarly, a total 227 cases of UE and others were detected and an amount of Rs.12.07 lakh was charged.

Further elaborating, he said in the North Zone comprising circles of Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur and Nawanshahr, a total 3,200 power connections were checked. Of these cases, theft was detected in 87 cases. A sum of Rs.35.59 lakh was charged to these defaulters. A total 50 cases of UUE were also detected and an amount of Rs.4.3 lakh was charged to defaulters.

In the South Zone comprising the circles of Patiala, Sangrur, Barnala, Ropar and Mohali, a total of 6,913 electricity connections were checked. During checking, a total 269 cases of thefts were detected and an amount of Rs.90.96 lakh were charged to defaulters. 

In the Border Zone comprising circles of Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Sub-Urban Amritsar and Tarn Taran, a total 9,566 electricity connections were checked by the PSPCL Staff who detected 288 cases of thefts. A sum of Rs.88.93 lakh was charged to those indulging into theft of electricity. Besides, a total 48 UUE cases were detected and Rs.6.34 were charged to defaulters. 

In Central Zone Ludhiana comprising circles of East, West, Sub-Urban and Khanna, a total 4,036 electricity connections were checked. Of these checked connections, theft was detected in 173 cases and an amount of Rs.86.76 lakh was charged to defaulters. The PSPCL Staff also detected 34 UUE cases, which were charges to the tune of Rs.8.25 lakh. Besides, a total 114 UE and other cases were also detected and defaulters were charged worth Rs.4.86 lakh.

In West Zone Bathinda comprising the circles of Bathinda, Muktsar, Faridkot and Ferozepur, the PSPCL Staff conducted checking of a total 2,884 electricity connections. Of these cases, theft was detected in 332 cases, which were charged an amount of Rs.135.3 lakh. A total of 87 UUE cases were detected. A sum of Rs.14.81 was charged to the defaulting consumers. Besides, a total 113 UE cases were detected to whom Rs.7.21 lakh was charged.    

Er. DPS Grewal further said that mass checking drive would continue in the future also. He made an appeal to all the PSPCL consumers to help them in controlling the menace of theft of electricity by providing information about theft of power in their respective areas.  He appealed to everyone to regularise their electricity connections so that they should be brought under the system. He said this move would further strengthen the PSPCL system, which would be in the larger interest of the consumers.