LIKE GUJARAT, UP TO BRING TOUGH LAW AGAINST THEFTS

Taking a cue from Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh will bring a tough law to deal with rampant power theft in the state, energy minister Srikant Sharma said at a press conference here on Friday. Gujarat has a special vigilance cell that keeps a close watch on pilferage of electricity from the network of government distribution companies.

There is also a toll free number which people can dial to complain about power theft anywhere in the state. Gujarat also has police stations to deal exclusively with power theft.

“Our government will soon bring a tough antipower theft law like the one in Gujarat to overcome the widespread menace of pilferage of electricity in UP,” Sharma said, replying to a question. The minister said the government aimed at providing power to all before 2018. But rampant power theft, he added, was a big hurdle in this goal. He said the distribution companies in Uttar Pradesh had been asked to begin a crackdown on power theft without fear or favour before the new law is enacted. The commercial and technical losses, a euphemism for pilferage in UP, are above 30% which is double the permissible limit.

ADEQUATE SUPPLY DURING EXAMS

The energy minister said that the UP Power Corporation Ltd had implemented a new roster from Friday, ensuring no load shedding in villages and cities between 6pm and 6am in view of the ongoing UP board exams. He said the corporation had been asked to stick to the schedule, supplying 18 hours power to villages, 20 hours to Bundelkhand and tehsil headquarters and 24 hours to the district headquarters..