The Hindu : Kerala News : Political interference in power theft case

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 09, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Political interference in power theft case

By Radhakrishnan Kuttoor

Copy of Page 57 of the phone message register at the KSEB office in Puthenchantha.

PATHANAMTHITTA, JUNE 8. An order that allegedly originated from the Electricity Minister's office on May 12, 2004 in connection with a power theft case registered by the Anti-Power Theft Squad of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) throws light on the political interference in the free and fair functioning of the squad.

The order was issued between the polling day and the counting day of the byelection from the Wadakkancherry constituency from where the then Electricity Minister, K. Muraleedharan, was contesting to the Assembly.

As per Page 57 of the phone message (PM) register (see picture) kept at the KSEB Electrical Section Office at Puthenchantha in Thiruvananthapuram, the Executive Engineer had directed the Assistant Engineer that ``the disconnected service connection to the Amma Restaurant may be restored as per the direction of the Add. P.S of the Hon Minister of Electricity as they have filed an appeal petition to the Hon. Minister''.

The case dates back to August 24, 2001 when the squad detected an ``unauthorised additional load of 10 kW'' of power during an inspection at the hotel in Thiruvananthapuram. Subsequently, power supply to the hotel was disconnected and the hotel management was directed to pay Rs.2,78,911.

The management then moved the Kerala High Court which directed it to remit 50 per cent of the amount and file a petition before the KSEB against the assessment. The court asked the KSEB not to take any coercive action against the consumer till the disposal of the appeal.

Meanwhile, the KSEB issued the monthly bill of September 2001 to the consumer for Rs.1,24,728. Penal charges for the 10 kW unauthorised additional load were also included in the bill, putting the total dues at Rs.4,03,639.

The KSEB disposed the appeal on April 19, 2004 upholding the original assessment of the squad. At this stage, the consumer reportedly approached the Electricity Minister's office to obtain a direction from the additional private secretary to the Minister for reconnection in violation of the High Court direction and the relevant rules.

It is only recently the Lok Ayukta had indicted the financially-starved KSEB for its failure to realise the revenue due from its customers.

The general secretary of the Kerala Electricity Workers Federation, M. Sukumara Pillai, points out that the Minister has no jurisdiction over the squad. According to him, there is every reason to suspect some foul play in the consumer `approaching' the Minister's office instead of moving the High Court.

The KSEB squad has eight units in the State. With its thrust on industrial and commercial users, the eight units together register cases involving Rs 1.2 crores a month.

There were allegations that the functioning of the squad was frozen at the instance of the Minister during the recent general elections.

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