Taken serious note of the attack on the power staff engaged in anti power theft drive the state government has directed that adequate security be provided to the power employees. Traders in Rampur district had attacked the power employees following the detection of power theft at the premises of a trader. The trader had died of cardiac arrest due to shock leading to attack on the power employees by the local traders.
The energy minister Srikant Sharma said here on Sunday that it’s a serious matter. He directed the principal secretary energy to ensure strict action against those who attacked the power employees. He also directed the home department to ensure adequate security to the power employees engaged in enforcement drive. The minister said the guilty will not be spared and the government will ensure that there is no threat to the security of the power employees while checking the power meters of the power consumers at their premises.
The minister said the creating obstructing in the work of the power employees during the anti theft drive and creating threat to their security would be dealt with a heavy hand. He said the government has already issued directions to all the district magistrates to take necessary action.
The energy minister said that he has asked the UP power corporation to review each power feeder and check only these feeders reporting maximum line losses. He said during the drive launched in April power connections of 27,000 consumers were inspected and power theft was detected at 17,000 connections till the end of July. He said FIRs were lodged against 9,000 consumers and Rs 17 crore was recovered as fine from the consumers.