Nab power stealers: PSEB chief to officials
Gagan K. Teja
Tribune News Service

Patiala, September 12
As per the guidelines issued by Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, chairman of the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) Harinder Singh Brar has instructed all the chief engineers (distribution) and chief engineer (enforcement) to expedite the movement to catch power stealers and deal strictly with them so as to protect distribution and transmission system of the board.

In this direction, chairman has posted new officers on such positions. Following the orders of the chairman, the chief engineer (enforcement) has brought the machinery to catch power stealers in full swing and in last 11 days, 394 cases of power thefts have been detected and penalty of Rs 1.80 crore have been imposed on them.

Brar disclosing about some of the big catches informed that the job of enforcement has been risky, as mostly power stealers were not ordinary persons and they try to force engineers on duty.

In one such incident on September 3, 2009, when a consumer, who was caught stealing power in Agar Nagar, Ludhiana, he tried to scare the board’s team by pointing revolver towards them. The senior executive (enforcement-I), Ludhiana, Surinder Kumar without getting scared imposed penalty of Rs 2.70 lakh, which was later deposited by the consumer.

However, an FIR against the consumer has been lodged in the anti-theft police station, Ludhiana. Chairman further said on receipt of information, senior executive engineer (enforcement), Sangrur, raided Vikas Metal Industry, the Jakhal road, Hamjhari village under Patran division on September 10, 2009, night and found that the owner had been directly running factory with a 11 KV cable direct from board’s transformer to 200 KVA transformer of the firm. Load of 68 KW had been running at the time of the raid. The owner of the factory threatened the team but senior engineer, Sangrur, Raminderjit Singh showing lodged an FIR and the owner of the factory was arrested. Penalty of Rs 35.69 lakh had also been imposed on the firm and electricity has been disconnected to the factory.