Power corporation collects ₹694L as fine from violators across Punjab

THE TEAMS CHECKED 54,212 POWER CONNECTIONS ACROSS THE STATE AND DETECTED A TOTAL OF 5,228 VIOLATIONS

LUDHIANA: Amid a deepening power crisis, Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) is going all out to rein in on electricity violators and has imposed penalty to the tune of Rs 694 lakh in the past 43 days across the state.

Teams of the distribution wing have been conducting systematic checking in their areas to curb power thefts.

According to officials, the teams have checked 54,212 connections and detected a total of 5,228 violations. These include 1,285 cases of power thefts and 3,943 cases of unauthorised use of electricity/unauthorised extension. The checking was conducted from April 4 to May 16 under the zero-tolerance drive started by PSPCL following the directions of Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann and Punjab power minister Harbhajan Singh ETO.

The team of zone border has checked a total of 20,919 connections in this period and unearthed 439 cases of theft, against which a penalty of Rs 79 lakh was imposed, and 1,059 cases of unauthorised use or extension for which Rs 47 lakh was collected.

Similarly, in the central zone as many as 7,130 connections were checked and a total of 687 cases, including 171 cases of theft and 516 unauthorised use or extension cases, were detected and total fine charged was Rs 91 lakh.

The teams of the north zone checked 9,992 connections and detected 72 cases of thefts and 883 unauthorised use or extension cases. The total fine charged in 955 cases was Rs 56 lakh.

In the South zone, the teams checked 6,028 connections, out of which 146 cases of thefts and 517 cases of unauthorised use or extension were detected following which fine to the tune of Rs 111 lakh was charged.

A total of 1,425 cases, including 457 cases of theft and 968 unauthorised use or extension cases, were detected in the West zone where as many as 10,143 connections were checked. The teams collected a total of Rs 311 lakh in the last 43 days.

State power minister Harbhajan Singh said, “The department wants to curb the menace of power thefts to provide uninterrupted supply to its consumers. Such drives will be intensified in the coming days.” He warned of stringent action against consumers found violating power consumption norms.