THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Escalating the woes of the cash-strapped KSEB, close to 10 crore units of electricity was found to have been stolen in the state in the last three financial years. The cumulative loss sustained by the board due to the theft amounted to Rs 104 crore, while Rs 59 crore was realized from the offenders (including arrears) during the period.
The clampdown on power theft is being done by the Anti-Power Theft Squad (APTS) of the board and is monitored by Chief Vigilance Officer Prasanthan Kani B K.
According to the APTS documents obtained by TNIE, from March 2021 to March 2024, 1,178 instances of power theft were detected in the state. As many as 1,355 cases of short assessment and 5,980 instances of unauthorised additional load/unauthorised extension/tariff misuse were also found during the period.
The APTS conducted more than 1,00,000 inspections and the highest number of thefts were reported during the 2023-24 financial year. During this window, a theft of 4.42 crore units of power was detected, which translated to a loss of Rs 48 crore for the board. The highest amount was also recovered during the period as Rs 28.32 crore was remitted, including arrears.
Chief Vigilance Officer Prasanthan said commercial establishments were found to be more engaged in power theft compared to domestic consumers. He said there were also instances of misusing connections given for agricultural and domestic uses for commercial purposes.
“We have been taking strong actions against the offenders indulged in unlawful activities such as power theft. Due to our sustained efforts, we have been able to plug the power theft, which drains the resources of the board,” he said.
The department during these years had filed 21 police cases against the offenders, as per the documents of the APTS.
The APTS has seven officers in each district to carry out its activities.
Once a malpractice is detected, the assessment of the loss incurred by the board due to the act is done by the Assistant Executive Engineer of the respective electrical section. The accused, who were served the penalty notice, can file an appeal against the fine amount before the appellate authority in the board or take the legal route. However, they have to furnish 50 per cent of the penalty amount before moving an appeal.
1,00,000 inspections
lThe APTS conducted more than 1,00,000 inspections and the highest number of thefts were reported during 2023-24 financial year.
lDuring this window, a theft of 4.42 crore units of power was detected