Nagpur: The flying squad of Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) unearthed power thefts worth Rs 6.72 crore in Nagpur and Vidarbha in a sustained campaign in the first four months of the new financial year.
The flying squad fanned out in Vidarbha Region and checked power meters at 3,459 customers, out of which 1,019 were found to be stealing electricity. The total amount of electricity used through by-passing the system was estimated to be Rs 6.72 crore. The 1,019 consumers stealing power were booked under section 135 of Electricity Act 2003 and Amendment of 2007.
Similarly during the same period, the MSEDCL ground teams also detected irregularities and found 732 such cases during examination of consumers’ premises. The difference between two is that first is pure theft of electricity whereas in the second instance there is misuse, which means household electric meters used for commercial purposes.
In the second instance the irregularity amounted to Rs. 5.92 crore and for the same 732 consumers were booked under Section 126 of Electricity Act. Commercial losses are a major pain for the distribution company and from time to time it conducts assessment in areas where it found mismatch in recoveries. Since feeder data is available every month, computing the same points out the odds and then Flying Squad goes for cross checks and unearths the fraudulent practices.
Under Nagpur Region Office, there are 12 flying squads and at Division level three squads are functioning. Similarly at Nagpur and Akola Circles also separate flying squads are in place.
