close_game
close_game

UPPCL: 2,875 power thefts in Sambhal caused 18 cr revenue loss in 9 months

By, Lucknow
Jan 19, 2025 10:39 PM IST

UPPCL reported 2,875 power theft cases in Sambhal, causing ₹18.28 crore loss. 1,400 FIRs filed; efforts reduced power load by 25.827 MW.

Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) has exposed 2,875 incidents of power theft, which led to it suffering a revenue loss worth 18.28 crore in the last nine months, in Sambhal, said UPPCL authorities.

The drive to curb power theft in Sambhal was launched on April 1 last year (File)
The drive to curb power theft in Sambhal was launched on April 1 last year (File)

They said as many as 1,400 FIRs were registered against the crimes at the Anti-Power Theft police station in Sambhal. The curbing of power thefts reduced the line loss by around 25.827 megawatts, they added.

The drive to curb power theft was launched in Muslim-dominated Sambhal district on April 1 last year. State energy minister AK Sharma had levelled allegations of power theft while responding to the Samajwadi Party (SP) opposing the privatisation in the power sector in early December last year.

A senior UPPCL official confirmed that the corporation teams raided as many as 3,090 places and installations in Sambhal between April 1 last year and January 4 to check for power theft. The offence was committed at 2,875 places. He said 18.28 crore was slapped as penalty on the offenders, and 2 crore had been recovered during the same period.

Sharing more details, the UPPCL official said the highest 1,868 raids were carried out in Sambhal division alone, and power theft was detected in 1,703 sites many of which were religious places and premises of VVIPs and political parties. Thefts were detected at the premises of former Bahujan Samaj Party minister and present Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Akeel-Ur-Rahman Khan, sitting Sambhal SP MP Ziaur Rahman Barq, former SP district president Feroz Khan and a Samajwadi Party office.

He added an amount of 12.5673 crore was slapped as penalty on offenders in the division and the exercise reduced the power load by around 22.814 megawatt. He said the exercise reduced power load to around 60 per cent on the 11 KV feeders of 33/11 power sub-station of the Sambhal division. It would also bring an extra revenue of around 4.5 crore per month from this division, he added.

He stated that the massive “web of wires” spread in the region led to over 70 per cent of instances of power thefts, which caused a huge loss to the power department every month.

The official said the drive was carried out in some localities known for power thefts, such as Deepa Sarai, Khaggu Sarai, Miya Sarai, Nakhasa, Chowdhary Sarai, Ale Shah Rukanudeen Sarai, Raisatti, Hatim Sarai and Shahbazpura. He said over one ton of unauthorised cable wires were removed from these localities and around 42-km-long armoured cables were put up there to curb power thefts. Around 30-km-long network of armoured cables more was required to completely stop power thefts in these localities, he noted.

“We are putting armoured cables and smart meters to curb power thefts after discovering such a huge amount of power thefts in Sambhal division,” said the UPPCL executive engineer in Sambhal, Naveen Gautam.

The official said power theft of 3 kV was detected at the premises of former minister Akeel-Ur-Rahman Khan after which an FIR was lodged and a penalty of 2 lakh was slapped on him. Power theft of 4.8 kV was detected at the premises of Feroz Khan after which an FIR was lodged and a penalty of 55 lakh was slapped on him. Similarly, a power theft of 16.48 kV was detected at the premises of MP Ziaur Rahman Barq after which an FIR was lodged and a penalty of 1.91 crore was slapped on him. Besides, a separate FIR was lodged against the MP’s father Mamluqur Rahman and two others for threatening power staff.

Similarly, 15 kV power theft was detected at an illegally operated e-rickshaw charging centre, 17 kV at a washing plant and 12 kV at another commercial centre in the division. He said three separate FIRs were lodged in the matter and a penalty of 21 lakh, 11 lakh and 18 lakh was slapped on the offenders.

Similarly, 768 and 454 raids were carried out in Chandausi and Babraala divisions, and at least 745 and 437 incidents of power thefts were detected there. Penalties worth 4.1152 crore and 1.5984 crore were slapped against the offenders—even as a reduction of 2.682 megawatt and 0.331 megawatt of power load was noticed—in Chandausi and Babraala, respectively.

rec-icon Recommended Topics
Share this article
See More
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Saturday, February 15, 2025
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On