tamperfinderThe State Electricity Boards of Tamil Nadu and Kerala were established around seventy years ago. Kerala State Electricity Board has a far better track record of detecting power theft than the TNEB, both in terms of the quantity of power theft cases reported and the diversity of high-tech power theft cases. The questioning of power theft perverts showed that the technology is frequently sourced from Tamil Nadu where industrial consumers are abundant. There was a belief that the Electricity Board’s corporatization would enable them to perform effectively in distribution, particularly in loss reduction and the use of optimal technology to reduce power theft. After 25 years, a review of TANGEDCO’s power thefts compared to those of KSEB Ltd. indicates that the company has not advanced significantly. Media reports claim that power theft occurs often and crudely in TANGEDCO’s Maduari division, and that the social evil is not being addressed with any kind of organised effort.
People are upset over the sharp rise in power theft incidents that Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO) has been reporting in its rural areas in recent months. Several social movement groups have urged serious criminal charges against the perpetrators. The Madurai EDC division of TANGEDCO has been the site of many power theft occurrences over the last three months, according to official documents. Up to 65 cases were evaluated in March 2024, and violators were fined Rs 9.26 lakh. There were assessments in 60 instances in April 2024 and a fine of Rs 12.07 lakh; in May 2024, there were assessments in 73 cases and a fine of Rs 12.79 lakh. These numbers lead one to the conclusion that TANGEDCO is pennywise and pound-foolish.
People with strong electrical and technical skills commit energy theft and related offences. Electricians and several TANGEDCO personnel are the main conspirators in most of the instances. Unfortunately, the violators receive fines only. Power theft should be treated as a major offence to stop such occurrences. Despite the media’s emphasis on the facts above, the utility has not yet taken any significant action.
The criminals continue to commit the crime since they are aware of the fine and associated punishments. Additionally, they have the backing of local political party officials. The utility officials acknowledged that electricity theft occurs often in Tamilnadu. They claim without any evidence that the transmission lines and wires are thousands of miles long, making detection challenging. This is only a diversion from their responsibilities that permits anti-social individuals to control the administration if not the power sector.
Punjab Swelters: Scorching Heat and Rampant Power Theft Threaten to Make State India’s Power Theft Hub.
Punjab is sweating out. The state is not only experiencing an abnormally hot summer, but electricity theft is also a significant issue. Act to halt it before the state descends into chaos. The same political party, AAP, that vehemently opposed Delhi Discom’s attempts to combat energy theft also controls the Indian state of Punjab.
Political parties and technocrats in Punjab lambasted the Aam Aadmi Party-led administration for failing to stop the increasing rate of power theft in the state, as residents have been suffering from lengthy unplanned power outages. According to them, many feeders are now reporting power losses of more than 50%. And, electricity theft has been costing the state INR 18500 million annually. The hardest hit regions had been the border and the Malwa belts.
Aam Aadmi Party, Punjab State Power Corporation (PSPCL), electricity theft, energy theft, losses in power sector,
The Punjab State Power Corporation (PSPCL) is suffering significant losses due to power theft, and the government has to explain why they were unable to put an end to it. One of the main public concerns is whether the PSPCL is competitive enough to handle such problems.
Electricity undergoes losses while passing through any conductor. It is based on science. It is also impossible to eliminate losses. However, in Punjab, one feeder has an almost 90% loss. i.e., less than 10 units of electricity undergo measurement at the customer’s location for every 100 units that pass through. A significant portion evaporated through losses or power theft. The Union Government must intervene, as the loss in several feeds surpasses sixty per cent.
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