PSPCL detects Rs18.40-cr loss

Power theft, meter-tampering, unauthorised use eat into revenue

Tribune Web Desk

Updated At : 12:40 PM Sep 11, 2020 IST

Kuldip Bhatia

Ludhiana, September 10

In its ongoing drive against power theft and other irregularities, Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has unearthed a revenue loss of Rs 18.40 crore arising out of 1,24,535 connections from August 11 to September 4. Of the amount, Rs 5.09 crore has already been recovered as penalty from the erring consumers.

PSPCL Director (Distribution) Daljit Inder Pal Singh Grewal said as many as 10,412 cases of revenue loss through power theft, tampering with meters, illegal use of electricity, unauthorised load and faulty meters in five distribution zones — border, central, north, south and west — had been detected.

Grewal said the highest number of connections was checked in the border zone (37,234), followed by north (25,759), west (22,405), south (20,036) and central (19,101) zones. The border zone also topped the list of defaulters with 2,813 cases, followed by west (2,321), south (2,016), north (2,000) and central (1,262) zones.

In terms of penalty imposed on defaulting consumers, the west zone led with Rs 480.68 lakh, followed by the border zone with Rs 446.46 lakh, south zone Rs 372.72 lakh, central zone Rs 289.25 lakh and north zone Rs 251.81 lakh.

Grewal said the west zone was also ahead in recovery of penalty with Rs 135.91 lakh, while the lowest amount recovered was in north zone at Rs 53.63 lakh. In south zone, the recovery was Rs 135.40 lakh, border zone Rs 117.76 lakh and central zone Rs 66.76 lakh.

He lauded the efforts made by the staff towards recovery of arrears to the tune of Rs 129 crore from non-government consumers and Rs 22 crore from government departments in August alone.