THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the increase in electricity usage during the lockdown resulting in huge bills, the KSEB Anti-Power Theft Squad has discovered that many households are resorting to power theft to shrug off the burden.
Domestic users have raised complaints that the bills received for the lockdown period were far more than the amount usually charged. Justifying the rise, the KSEB attributed it to the drastic increase in tariff once the consumption goes beyond a set slab. Since people were forced to stay indoors, electricity consumption had gone above the usual slabs resulting in higher bill amounts.
However, the flip side of the increased electricity bill is that more people are resorting to power theft. Sources in the KSEB Anti-Power Theft Squad told The New Indian Express that around 10 cases of theft are reported daily from each district in northern Kerala, while the southern districts are returning fewer cases.
"The thefts are reported from domestic households as commercial and industrial establishments are yet to start functioning," sources said.
More cases would have been detected had site inspections been regular, KSEB sources said. KSEB activities, including inspections to check power theft, have been scaled down owing to the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown. A senior official said that in hotspots, the KSEB is only ensuring uninterrupted power supply. All other work, including providing new connections, has been suspended.
"Our main focus is on providing supply and restoring it when there is any disruption. All other work is being done at a reduced level. Otherwise, the number of power theft cases could have gone up further," the official said.