Date:05/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/05/stories/2008120553920400.htm

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

KSEB to monitor high tension units

Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) will set up a control room with automated meter reading system here to gauge the power utilisation of extra high tension and high tension units, Power Minister A.K. Balan has said.

The automated meter would record the power consumption of the industries every 15 minutes. The new system was being planned as part of the government’s efforts to check power theft, Mr. Balan said in reply to questions in the Assembly on Thursday. Energy auditing had been proposed at the distribution level too. Already 11 anti-power theft squads were functioning in the State. Two more squads would be constituted in Malappuram and Thiruvalla.

A sum of Rs.45.86 crore had been realised as fine in power theft cases since the LDF government assumed office. A sum of Rs.36.34 crore was realised during the tenure of the previous UDF government. Separate meters would be installed at the electrical sections and transformers to prevent power loss. There were 7,13,072 faulty meters in the State. The board would buy eight lakh Liquid Crystal Display meters.