JAMMU: In a bid to curb electricity theft, the Jammu Power Distribution Corporation Ltd (JPDCL) has ordered lodging FIRs with the police against consumers involved in power theft by means of hooking or bypassing smart meters. The decision to deal with power theft with an iron hand has been taken by JPDCL Managing Director Vikas Kundal. He has instructed the assistant executive engineers (AEEs) to lodge FIR under section 135 of Electricity Act, 2003 against those who are found indulging in power theft. According to the Act, electricity theft will be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years or with fine or with both. Kundal warned that such practices were causing massive loss to the public exchequer and honest consumers suffer due to such illegal practice by miscreants. He said it was the highest priority of the UT government to reduce the aggregate transmission and distribution losses and the same can only be achieved if power theft was curbed. In a drive against ‘illegal’ power connections and delinquent payments, the JPDCL has disconnected power connection of more than 5,200 defaulters, collecting an impressive revenue in the past three days. The JPDCL Managing Director in a statement urged consumers also to settle their pending bills promptly to avoid power disconnection. It is worth mentioning that through the amnesty scheme, the government was able to recover a sum of Rs 235.58 crore from domestic consumers across Jammu and Kashmir. The scheme has further been extended till March next year by the administrative council which recently met under the chairmanship of Lt Governor Manoj Sinha. J&K has been witnessing huge power theft and some of the feeders had till recently recorded more than 90 per cent electricity loss.
