Conduct survey to identify families sans power connection: UPPCL

The Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd (UPPCL) has ordered a state-wide survey to identify households without a valid electricity connection and persuade them to subscribe to one, in an attempt to curb electricity theft. The UPPCL chairman has issued guidelines for the survey and stated that documents such as family registers and ration card details should be used to identify families. The survey teams will check if a household has a formal power connection and if it is found to have one, no further action is required.

Suspecting that many households in the state are consuming electricity through ‘katiyas’ (illegally drawn wires) or using one valid electricity connection for more than one premises, the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd (UPPCL) has ordered a state-wide survey to identify families without a valid connection and persuade them to subscribe to one.

The UPPCL suspects that many households in the state are consuming electricity through ‘katiyas’ (illegally drawn wires) or using one valid electricity connection for more than one premises. (For Representation)

Chairman, UPPCL, M Devraj on Friday issued a written order in this regard, laying down guidelines for the survey as well as its format. A copy of the order has been sent to the chief secretary, commissioners, DMs apart from managing directors of discoms.

“There are a total 3.27 crore power consumers in the state and of them 2.88 crore are domestic connections. Considering the size and population of Uttar Pradesh, it is evident that the number of domestic power connections is quite less vis-à-vis the total number of families,” he said in the order.

“It is, therefore, necessary to identify all such households that are using electricity sans a formal connection and given a regular connection as per rules so that theft of electricity could be curbed,” it added. Devraj, in his order, also said that documents such as family register available with the village panchayat, record of house tax/water tax payees in cities, ration card details should be made the base for identification of families.

“Willing students and self-help groups should be roped in and their teams constituted to conduct the family survey after DMs hold meetings with principles of the concerning inter colleges, ITIs, polytechnics etc and ₹100 per new power connection issued after the survey should be given as an incentive to students, electricity ‘sakhis’, self-help groups involved in the survey,” the order said.

“The survey teams will check if a household has a formal power connection and if it is found to have one, no further action needs to be taken,” it said. “There may be three types of situations in cases where families are found without a power connection. One, the family may not be using power at all, second, it may be using a ‘katiya’ connection to draw power illegally and third, more than one household may be using electricity illegally through one formal connection,” the order pointed out. “All families without a formal power connection have to be encouraged to take one,” it added.