PANAJI: The state electricity department is carrying out an inspection of various electrical installations in order to curb pilferage of power, especially by commercial and industrial establishments. The department is also contemplating penal action against those indulging in misuse and theft of power.
Sources said that the electricity department has found that there is rampant power pilferage in the state by commercial consumers which amounts to violations under the provisions of the Electricity Act, 2003.
Power Minister Pandurang Madkaikar on Wednesday told this daily that as a part of the electricity department’s pan-Goa exercise, the Meter Relay Testing (MRT) wing of the department is conducting an inspection which is being initially carried out in the coastal areas of the state. Madkaikar said that the inspection has revealed misuse of power supply, increase in connected load and pilferage of power by commercial and industrial establishments.
The Power Minister said that the department has already initiated the process for penal action under the relevant provisions of the Electricity Act, 2003 against the defaulting consumers. “We have detected several cases of misuse of power supply and in view of this, we are initiating penal action,” he said. Sources in the electricity department said that the MRT wing is conducting an inspection of various electrical installations in the coastal areas of Baga, Calangute, Sinquerim, Nerul, Verem, etc within the jurisdiction of sub division IV, Calangute.
It may be recalled that complaints were received by the department regarding misuse of power supply and pilferage of energy accusing officials of the sub divisions of the department. In the wake of these violations, the department has warned the consumers of the sub divisions as well as other areas under the control of the department to refrain from indulging in such illegalities.
“We have advised households to contact the respective sub divisional engineer for regularization of connections at the earliest in order to avoid penal action,” sources said.
The Power Minister said that though the department has initially started the exercise of conducting inspections of electrical installations in the coastal areas, the exercise will later cover the whole state.