In a major breakthrough, a team from Jharkhand Bijli Vitaran Nigam limited’s (JBVNl) Adityapur circle unearthed power theft worth crores of rupees from a mini-steel plant at Adityapur Industrial Area in the adjoining Seraikela-Kharsawan district.
The power supply company authority immediately snapped the power supply at Blue Star and subsequently lodged an FIR with the RIT police station in against the accused company around midnight. The company is located at the third phase of Adityapur industrial area
Officer-in-charge, RIT police station, SN Tiwary confirmed about a case of registered against Blue Star company for committing power theft.
“Yes we have registered a case after getting an FIR and alleged tampered metering unit from the JBVNl officials,” said the officer-in-charge.
Significantly, the JBVNl’s Jamshedpur circle has slapped a penalty of ` 2.97 crores on the accused company.
Superintending engineer, JBVNl’s Jamshedpur circle, RB Mishra who led the raid said that the management of Blue Star, which has an induction furnace, had tampered the metering unit for committing the power theft.
“We have been receiving complaints about the theft and we were shocked to see during the raid that there was no match between the actual extent of power drawn to the mini-steel plant and the extent of power consumption shown on the metering unit. Then after investigation we found that there was a hole behind the cover of the metering unit. Subsequently we detected that by inserting a very thin copper wire, the accused company had created a spark in the metering unit, causing it to function slowly,” said the Superintending Engineer.
He said while lodging the FIR with the RIT police station they have also submitted the tampered metering unit with the police station for further investigation by the police or by the JBVNl authority in Ranchi.
Mishra, when queried, said that volume of penalty that they slapped against Blue Star was based on the assumed power theft being committed since the past five months.
The Superintending Engineer said they would resume the power connection to the Blue Star only after the penalty of ` 2.97 crores is paid to the power supply company.
Officials said that due to large scale power theft and tampering of meter bills it is essential to take strict actions otherwise the present scenario would only get worst. “We are playing the role of facilitator similar to trading commodities to the public and when the latter fails to reciprocate in the true sense and instead resorts to pilferage possibility of sustaining regular power supply to the consumers is very remote,” conceded an officer.
“The rampant power thefts, tampering of meters and long pending dues of industries are a matter of great concern. Though I welcome stern steps to check all forms of malpractices but the corporate consumers should also be targeted. Several power bill defaulters had been resorting to illegal re-connection even after their lines were snapped. Surprise drive at night must soon be undertaken to detect such unauthorised connections,” noted an official of Singhbhum Chamber of Commerce and Industry.