Register FIRs in power theft cases: JK SVC to govt

Alarmed by the mounting number of electricity theft cases in Jammu and Kashmir, state Vigilance Commission today directed the government to register criminal cases against those engaged in power theft in the state.
The commission gave the direction after taking serious view of 258 pending vigilance complaints with Power Development department (PDD).
"The SVC has directed PDD department that whenever and wherever a case of electricity theft or illegal connection comes to the notice of the department, FIR should immediately be registered against the defaulters and progress of investigation and trial monitored," a SVC Spokesman said today.
The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Kuldeep Khoda, Chief Vigilance Commissioner and attended by Vigilance Commissioners-- R K Jerath and Gous-Ul-Nisa-- besides top officers of PDD and SVC.

Due to large number of theft cases, the Commission also decided to recommend to the Government to earmark one police station each at Jammu and Srinagar for dealing with offences under Electricity Act.
"The State Vigilance Commission convened a meeting to review the preventive vigilance system and pending corruption complaints of PDD," the spokesman said.

SVC also decided that 258 vigilance complaints under inquiry with PDD shall be completed within 45 days.
"Further, to improve the enforcement of preventive vigilance, it was decided that the Departmental Vigilance Officers (DVO's) in respect of all engineering departments, henceforth, shall be the concerned Superintending Engineer of the district, instead of an Executive Engineer," he said.

The Commission also directed that e-tendering for works and procurement should be strictly enforced and any wrong tender filed should be rejected without entertaining any undue representations.
The HODs of the department were directed to personally look into the complaints regarding power theft, illegal connections and procurement of substandard material for different works, the spokesman said.