Other States - Orissa   

Power pilferage goes on unchecked

— Photo: Lingaraj Panda

Powerless?: ’Bidyut Thana’, the police station for crime related to electricity, bears a deserted look in Berhampur on Wednesday.

BERHAMPUR: Power theft remains unchecked in the State as the special energy police stations remain almost defunct. Recently the power distribution company, Southco, expressed fear that the extensive electrification programmes being taken up in remote areas would also lead to extensive power theft. As per the report filed by the Southco before the Orissa Electricity Regulatory Commission (OERC) bare conductors are being used to transmit power under Rajiv Gandhi Gramin Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY) in rural areas, which makes them vulnerable to power theft. Added to it the power distribution company also felt that the kits for electrification being provided directly to families by the State Government under ‘Kutir Jyoti’ project were also enabling people to hook on to distribution lines without applying for power supply connection.

To check power theft five energy police stations had been opened in the State. There is also a proposal to open 28 more to cover all districts of the State. The existing five police stations are at Berhampur, Balasore, Khurda, Cuttack and Sambalpur. Each of them was to have a circle inspector, two assistant sub-inspectors and 15 constables. But they have remained short-staffed till now.

During the first quarter of current financial year no FIRs had been lodged in the energy police station in Berhampur which is under the Southco and no illegal consumers were prosecuted. Only 22 FIRs were lodged and three arrests were made by this police station in 2007-08. There was no follow-up by the police on these cases even though the Electricity Act ,2003 recognizes power theft as a non-bailable offence with imprisonment of up to three years and penalty up to Rs. 10,000 and punishment with imprisonment or fine or both for abetment of electricity offence.

The State Government had recently put the blame on the power distribution companies for non-functional state of energy police stations. It had sought written assurance from the three Reliance Energy-managed power distribution companies, Southco, Wesco and Nesco for bearing the salary of the police officials of the energy police stations. The REL-managed power distribution companies had come up with the idea of separate energy police stations with promise of providing full financial support. But they are yet to give firm commitment to the State Government for it as result of which the State Government is unable to recruit more policemen for the proposed energy police stations. But the other power distribution company in the State, CESU, has already pledged financial support to the energy police stations in its area.

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