The Hindu : New Delhi News : "Discoms may misuse CISF"

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Aug 20, 2006

New Delhi

New Delhi

"Discoms may misuse CISF"

Staff Reporter

Another tool in the hands of corrupt discoms staff to harass consumers, feel RWAs

NEW DELHI: A number of residents' welfare associations in Delhi have lauded the announcement of initiatives being taken to curb power thefts in the Capital but at the same time expressed fear that the Central Industrial Security Force may be misused by the private power distribution companies for threatening and harassing even consumers with genuine grievances.

In a statement, the East Delhi coordinator of URJA, Rajesh Dokwal, sounded a note of caution: "Unfortunately our experience with discoms tells us that residents are at risk of being ill treated by the CISF at the behest of private company contractors."

Expressing similar views, N. N. Mishra of the Mayur Vihar Residents' Welfare Association said that if the distribution companies could induce the local police to come and openly threaten disconnection of consumers who were protesting against power theft and manhandle the RWA office-bearers, how could the residents rest assured that the CISF would not be misused by these discoms?

"The only thing that is certain is that the harassment of honest consumers has now been certified," he charged.

The RWAs are also suspicious of the move to deploy CISF personnel.

"We know for certain that in every case of power pilferage there is a direct involvement of a discom employee. It is as simple as that. It is impossible for any consumer to have the know-how of opening the meter, replacing wires or circuitry to effect meter tampering. It is their internal corruption that has created this monster. But it goes without saying that this will become another tool in the hands of corrupt employees to extort money from unsuspecting consumers," said Atul Goyal, Karol Bagh Residents' Welfare Association member and coordinator of URJA in West Delhi.

"There have been umpteen cases where discom employees have forged theft cases on innocent consumers. We can expect more of the same," said Ashok Prabhakar of the Malviya Nagar Residents' Welfare Associations Federation.

Sanjay Kaul, president of People's Action, said: "There is reasonable concern among residents on this issue and we cannot accept unbridled use of CISF without an accompanying monitor. The spate of charges against discoms misusing such force against residents of Delhi in an arbitrary manner cannot be ruled out."

"Therefore, we are petitioning the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission to ensure a standard of compliance before the use of Central Industrial Security Force."

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