PDD intensifies drive against power theft, 110 illegal ACs removed

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 1: On the second day of the ‘Electricity Inspection Week’, the inspection squads from EMRE-III, Jammu today focused their attention towards rural areas viz. Simbilwala, Nardani, Daskal and removed 110 illegal Air Conditions.
A total of 710 inspections in various areas across the jurisdiction of the Division were conducted, detecting more than 140 cases of power theft. The checking squads caught as many as 110 consumers, who were running their air-conditioners by directly hooking on to LT lines, called ‘kundis’ or by bypassing the electricity meter.
Eight inspection squads headed by Vivek Gupta, Assistant Executive Engineer, Sub-Division, Canal, along with Junior Engineers and other field staff, conducted a total of 309 inspections in Santra Morh, Church Mohalla Muthi, Shanker Vihar, Kabir Colony, Rehari and adjoining areas and found 61 illegal connections.
Likewise, 281 simultaneous raids were conducted in Janipur, Chinore, Nardani, Bantalab, Simbliwala and adjoining areas by 6 inspection squads headed by Ashish Badyal, Assistant Executive Engineer along with Junior Engineers and other field staff, which booked 56 power defaulters under relevant Section of State Electricity Act. Besides, 72 cooking heaters, 25 incandescent lamps and other devices were also seized, while illegal power supply to 13 clusters of jhuggies/temporary hutments was disconnected during the drive.
In addition to Jammu town, 62 inspections were conducted in Akhnoor town by a team lead by S S Manhas, AEE Sub-Division Akhnoor along with JEs and other field staff, which detected 14 cases of power irregularities. Similarly, 58 inspections were conducted in Jourian Town by a team headed by Bhopinder Singh, AEE along with JEs and other staff and found 9 illegal connections and 15 consumers using unauthorized load in excess to their agreement load.
The inspection squads warned that whosoever dishonestly tapes the power lines or tampers/or destroys a meter or uses electricity for the purpose other than for which the usage of electricity was authorized, shall be booked under Section 95 of Electricity Act.