Hary Power Utilities imposes Rs 58 cr penalty on erring users

The Haryana Power Utilities has found 16,214 cases of electricity theft and imposed a penalty of Rs 58.48 crore on erring consumers in the month of July.
Many teams of the department are conducting raids across the state. People have also shown support in preventing power theft cases, a spokesman of the power utilities said here today.
He said out of the total penalty, over Rs 21.10 crore had already been recovered.
Earlier, electricity theft of Rs 40 crore was found in the state in the month of June. This figure was about Rs 35 crore in May, the spokesman said.

He said the Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam had detected 6,945 cases of electricity theft in June and imposed a fine of Rs 28.35 crore, of which Rs 11.48 crore was recovered.
Similarly, the Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam had detected 9,269 cases of theft in the same month and imposed fine of Rs 30.13 crore, of which Rs 9.62 crore was recovered.

The spokesman said a large number of cases of electricity theft was detected in RO water plants, poultry farms, hotels, restaurants and small industries.
Action is being taken by the department against the offenders under the Electricity Act. Those who did not deposit the fine have been arrested, he said.

In case a government employee is found involved in power theft, their departments will be alerted to take departmental action against the employee, the spokesman said.
The state power department has established a toll free number on which large number of consumers have reported about electricity theft cases.
The spokesman added that 10 per cent of the fine imposed by the department is being given as 'incentive money' to those who provide information about theft cases and their identity will be kept a secret.