Report of Indian Institute of Public Administration ... - Ministry of Power

Theft Reduction Measures
State Reports (Vol.-III)
Study on `Impact of Restructuring of SEBs’
The Utilities have claimed that enforcement measures to bring down the losses in the
State have been undertaken. The number of preventive raids were intensified during
the two years for 2001-02 and 2002-03, but declined during 2003-04. The table below
provides the details of preventive action taken by the DISCOMs between 2001-02 and
2003-04:
Table: Preventive Action and Prosecution for Theft of Electricity
Category
UHBVNL DHBVNL
2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04
Preventive raids
(No.)
NA 2,58,697 2,19,047 1,34,922 2,58,697 2,19,047 1,34,922 1,39,193
Demand raised
(Rs lakh)
NA 28,119 21,624 14,164 28,119 21,624 14,164 16,686
Penalty amount
realised (Rs lakh)
NA 1,842.89 1,486.03 1,551.08 1,842.8 1,486 1,551 1,801
Prosecuted (No.) NA NA NA NA 1,671 1,046 672 981
A large number of cases of electricity theft indicate that the problem is widespread
and has been continuing for a long time. It also reveals that the DISCOMs have not
been sufficiently vigilant. Further, the break-up of consumer categories is not
available which could have brought out the consumer categories that are more
involved in cases of electricity theft.
Subsidy Support by the State Government
Agricultural Consumption
Pumpset irrigation constitutes the major share of agricultural consumption of
electricity. At the time of restructuring, nearly 80 per cent of the agricultural pumpset
connections were unmetered. Efforts were made by the DISCOMs to place meters for
the pumpset connections. However, not much progress has been made on this front.
The unmetered agricultural pumpset connections are still as high as 67 per cent. The
DISCOMs were unable to install meters in respect of irrigation pumpset connections
in a large number of cases because of stiff resistance by the farmers. However, all new
agricultural pumpset connections released by the DISCOMs are metered. The
following table provides a snapshot of the progress of agricultural pumpset metering
in the State.
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