Amidst anti-power theft (APT) cell, power theft is almost a way of life across Jharkhand; even the State Government offices and buildings are used to running on ‘hook lines’.
Several Government buildings (official), including Sadar Hospital, Civil Surgeon’s building, ANM training centre, Animal department, Zila Parishad and many others are on ‘hook lines’. Sadar Hospital Bokaro which was erected with an estimated expenditure of Rs10 crore was inaugurated on November 1, 2013 by then State Health Minister Rajendra Prasad Singh is still using a hook line and waiting for the legal electricity connection.
After 14 months of its inauguration, Sadar Hospital still lacks legal power connection while the other Government buildings (mentioned above) which were started functioning from and after 2009 still running on ‘hook-lines’. This 100-bedded Sadar Hospital has several units including, gynaecology, pediatrics, cardiology, burns, orthopedics, skin, and eye units; equipped with outdoor, surgery, scanning, ultrasound facilities. Very soon a hi-tech blood bank and a world class burn unit would be scheduled to come-up but still lacks with legal power supply.
Admitting that Sadar Hospital and Civil Surgeon’s office have no legal power supply connection, district Civil Surgeon SB Singh said, we have applied for the electricity connection, “Hope it will be installed (legal) soon”, he added. Meanwhile, other officials preferred to keep mum on this issue. Power theft is a big concern in Jharkhand, hooking from wire is one medium. Both the domestic users and industrial sectors manipulate the meter reading causing loss of revenue, said an official. According to an estimate about 25 to 30 per cent power is lost in transmission due to power theft. Jharkhand has lost more than Rs250 crore due to power theft, said an official of Jharkhand State Electricity Board (JSEB).