Pune: Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) has unearthed 1,145 cases of electricity theft in five districts of Pune Division. Illegal electricity consumption of more than Rs.2 crore has been done in these cases.
The MSEDCL Pune division is running a drive to detect electricity theft in the districts of Pune, Solapur, Kolhapur, Satara and Sangli. In four such drives conducted in the last four months, MSEDCL officials have detected 6,428 cases of power theft involving billable consumption amounting to Rs 7.7 crore.
Theft of electricity using hooks or cables
According to MSEDCL officials, Pune division is carrying out campaign against power theft every month, during which the engineers of MSEDCL try to trace the power theft being done through illegal connections using hooks or cables. In the recently concluded drive, 12,140 electricity connections across domestic, commercial, industrial and agricultural categories were screened. Theft was detected in 1,145 cases in which 14,60,580 units of electricity equivalent to Rs 2.07 crore were used illegally.
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Theft of electricity from cables can be dangerous
An official said that illegal electricity connections taken using hooks and cables can pose a serious threat to the user’s home as well as to his neighbours. MSEDCL has appealed to the citizens to avoid using illegal electricity connections and report to the authorities if they come across any case of power theft.
Action will continue on those who have outstanding bills
MSEDCL has also said that it will continue to take action against consumers who have been defaulting for a long time. Since February last year, MSEDCL has undertaken a drive to recover the outstanding electricity bills from its domestic, commercial and industrial consumers. The agency has also started disconnecting the electricity connections of those consumers who have not paid the bills for several months. At the time of starting the drive, there were 27.11 lakh consumers in five districts of Pune region, on which MSEDCL owed a total of Rs 1,771 crore.