KPDCL to Deliver Prison Costs Towards Shoppers for Energy Theft

SRINAGAR: In an effort to fight widespread energy pilferage and enhance invoice deposits by defaulting customers, the Kashmir Energy Distribution Company Restricted (KPDCL) performed a powerful 10,465 inspections and disconnected over 11,000 customers within the last 10 days of November 2023.

KPDCL additionally realised income of Rs 85.24 crore, together with energy receipts, throughout the identical interval, with the very best remittances of Rs 16.42 crore recorded on November 28 alone.

Sharing particulars, a KPDCL spokesperson confirmed rampant hooking of strains on naked conductors in metered areas and exceeding vitality use past the agreed load by flat-rated customers throughout the Kashmir Division. “Throughout the inspection overdrive, penalties totalling Rs 1.03 crore had been imposed on customers discovered concerned in energy theft throughout all six O&M Circles within the final 10 days of November. As many as 995 connections had been regularised, and 2120 KW load added,” the spokesman mentioned.

O&M Circle Ganderbal performed the very best variety of 2,945 inspections, adopted by Circle Sopore with 2,048, Circle II Srinagar 1,950, Pulwama 1,528, Bijbehara 1,004, and Circle I Srinagar 990.

Crediting KPDCL patrolling groups for working in sub-zero temperatures to show energy pilferage, the spokesman shared particulars of 11,238 customers disconnected within the final 10 days of November, who had pending vitality dues exceeding three months. This included 7,828 home, 2,979 industrial, and 346 industrial customers.

The spokesperson assured customers of strict adherence to the ability curtailment schedule following the extra allocation of energy to the UT of Jammu & Kashmir by the Central Authorities.

Emphasising even handed use of energy, the KPDCL spokesperson additionally warned customers to keep away from hooking, bypassing meters, and exceeding overload, failing which KPDCL will file prison fees below related provisions of the Electrical energy Act. “We are going to quickly begin sharing particulars of customers who’ve pending vitality dues in lakhs in direction of the organisation. We may even expose hook customers who’ve the audacity to overtly use energy unauthorisedly,” he mentioned, including that FIRs will likely be lodged in opposition to these individuals who bodily assault KPDCL employees for performing official duties.

The spokesman additionally warned industrial customers, together with resorts, malls, and different enterprise shops, who’ve been discovered concerned in tampering with meters and have been caught red-handed by the Central Inspection Squad of KPDCL. “We have now taken cognisance below the legislation and penalised them. These penalties for energy theft have been confirmed by the First Appellate Authority below Sections 126 & 127 of the Electrical energy Act. KPDCL will make sure the fines are deposited, in any other case, we are going to act powerful and provoke authorized proceedings in opposition to them,” he mentioned, including that the lists of all such defaulters are mendacity with KPDCL and will likely be made public quickly.

Confirming constructive outcomes of accelerated inspection and disconnection drives, KPDCL spokesman mentioned such drives will proceed, geared toward stopping vitality losses and enhancing income assortment from defaulting customers. “There have been many constructive takeaways from such drives. This can assist us adhere to the ability curtailment schedule and prolong consolation to real customers,” he assured.

Reiterating concern over the speed of harm to Home Transformers (DTs), the spokesperson urged customers to forestall overloading of DTs which places total habitations to nice hardships throughout peak winter instances. “We have now maintained a gentle price of changing broken transformers. Our groups at Central Workshop Pampore and divisional-level workshops are working 24X7 to restore broken DTs and guarantee time-bound alternative,” he added.