Southern States - Andhra Pradesh   

Rs. 4.91-crore power theft detected

By Our Special Correspondent

Hyderabad June 13. In a major crackdown on power pilferers, the Vigilance staff of the AP Transco have stumbled upon a theft case involving Rs. 4.91 crores, the largest amount coming under any such case so far.

The case relates to Shalini Steel Mills in Bollarum industrial area coming under Medak district.

A director of the unit belonging to the proprietors' family, Vijay Kumar Agarwal, and its manager present on the spot, G. Raja Rao, were arrested today and presented before the First Additional district judge at Sangareddy, G. Jayasurya Rao, who remanded them to judicial custody till June 26.

The Transco Joint Managing Director, Vigilance, K. Durga Prasad, and P. Kothanda Ramaiah, SE, who announced this at a press conference here this evening, said, a case had been booked against the unit and the connected persons under Section 39 of the Indian Electricity Act as amended by Andhra Pradesh in pursuance of its anti-pilferage reforms, and the punishment for the offence would go up to five years imprisonment and a fine of Rs. 50,000. As per the provisions of the Act, the offence could be compounded on payment of Rs. 86 lakhs and if at least 50 per cent of the assessed amount is paid, the service would be reconnected. The unit remained closed now, he stated.

Mr. Durga Prasad said, the unit used `a very ingenious method' to draw the required flow of power without subjecting it to measurement by meter. A bundle of eight wires officially descended into the meter from the CT (Current Terminal) of the AP Transco but the proprietors disconnected one wire as and when they wanted to avoid measurement by making their own arrangement just outside the meter. The single piece GI pipe was cut at this point to facilitate the opening and the cutting was joined by a coupler.

Mr. Prasad and Mr. Kothanda Ramaiah said the concerned ADE, R.N. Seshagiri Rao, grew suspicious when the losses out of the feeder serving this and 24 other consumers in the area, touched a high of 22 per cent and when the unit in question recorded a low consumption. As part of inspection that followed, two parallel meters were installed, one near the existing one and the other outside, which finally indicated the `mischief'. When the system was rectified, the losses immediately came down to 7.5 per cent, establishing prima facie. The lost power was assessed for six months from October when the unit allegedly began the `tampering'.

The JMD warned pilferers in the State that they would also have to meet the same fate if they continued with dubious means to steal public property, power. Now, a pucca energy audit was being done down to 11 KV level. The ADE and other staff would be suitably rewarded.

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