Jail term, fine mooted for power pilferage

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, JUNE 9.Prolonged spell in jail, hefty fines and special courts to expedite disposal of cases are the main features of the draft bill to curb energy pilferage, released on Friday.

The Chief Minister, Mr. N. Chandrababu Naidu, outlined the features of the draft bill to amend the Indian Electricity Act of 1910 at a news conference here. He said the bill would be put before the people for a week-long debate prior to approval by the Cabinet on June 18.

He said meetings would be held with consumers in all districts on June 16 while the Secretary, Energy, and collectors would function as nodal agency to entertain suggestions or opinions from the public.

Mandal-level teams of energy officials would visit all villages from June 19 to 25 and organise gram sabhas where names of 'genuine' domestic consumers and of both authorised and unauthorised consumers of the farm sector would be read out. All unauthorised connections to domestic users (not agricultural consumers) would be regularised the same day until June 25. He said a cut-off date (June 25) would be fixed and thereafter ``we will be very stringent''.

The term of imprisonment for energy theft is now up from three to 5 years while the maximum penalty is Rs. 50,000 (the minimum being Rs. 5,000 from the existing level of not less than Rs 1,000). A convicted consumer would be debarred from power supply for 6 years. To speed up disposal of cases, special tribunals (of the rank of District Sessions Judge) in cases involving compensation of up to Rs. 5 lakhs and special courts (of the rank of High Court judge) where compensation is above Rs. 5 lakhs, would be set up.

The bill envisages completion of trial, awarding of punishment and compensation with a maximum of 6 months. Mr. Naidu said he felt 6 months was long enough, 90 days might suffice.

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Section  : Southern States
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