Says no option left except to discontinue power supply if consumers do not pay pending dues
Srinagar, Feb 05: Kashmir Distribution Power Corporation Limited (KPDCL) on Monday informed that the Corporation is mulling to disconnect power supply permanently to those who resort to power pilferage repeatedly.
Being Corporation a service provider, the KPDCL urged domestic and commercial consumers to pay pending electricity bills, failing which KPDCL has no option left to disconnect their services onwards.
In an exclusive talk with News agency, Managing Director KPDCL Mussarat Zia said the Corporation is working on two-pronged strategy to ensure transparency in electricity supply to consumers. He said the KPDCL is mulling to disconnect power supply permanently to those consumers who have been found repeated offenders in power theft.
“KPDCL is working on two-pronged strategy. First we are taking stringent action in metered areas against those found in hooking, power pilferage or theft. We are taking action against Electricity Act against offenders and in such areas disconnections take place. And second the Corporation is mulling to ensure permanent disconnection of power supply to those found repeatedly in power theft or hooking etc,” MD KPDCL said.
“To ensure deterrence KPDCL is sharing Consumer ID’s and residence images on social media of those consumers who are being caught red handed while power theft or hooking. The intent is not to defame and shame anybody but to ensure deterrence,” he said.
He added in non-metered areas the teams of KPDCL are carrying regular inspections for load revision. “Further all Deputy Commissioners and other officers have been asked to ensure no transportation, sale or purchase of crude electric gadgets in markets,” he said.
He added it has been observed when inspection teams seize crude electric gadgets on spot and destroy them later, the consumers venture out to the market on the very next day and purchase another ones which makes our inspections futile. “To ensure judicious use of electricity we have ordered complete ban on crude electric gadgets in markets and shopkeepers have been asked to adhere it strictly otherwise they will have to face action as per law,” he added.
MD KPDCL continued that in last two months, the inspection teams of KPDCL have carried 35 to 40 thousand late night drives in Kashmir valley to ensure no hooking or power theft in winters. “On daily basis more than 1000 Inspection Disconnection Drives were carried out. Our focus remains on those areas where hooking takes place. Mostly in smart meter areas where electricity is being supplied through bare conductors. During inspection drives we caught many individuals red handed and penalized hefty amount on them,” he added.
To a query he said prior to snowfall, the KPDCL had put all SE’s and Executive Engineer’s in an active mode and it is why we ensured restoration of power supply in snowfall circumstances in a real time. If we talk of yester-night there were 36 feeders down but at this point of time we have restored many out of them, and only 13 feeders are left which will also be restored shortly. As of now we have 1118 feeders up and electricity from these feeders are being supplied smoothly. By and large KPDCL ensured satisfactory power supply post snowfall situation in Kashmir Valley.
In his message, Managing Director KPDCL said that we are just service providers and our objective is to provide regular and seamless power supply to our consumers, so it is impossible to ensure uninterrupted power supply till consumers do not cooperate with us. He also appealed domestic and commercial consumers to clear pending dues without any further delay.
“Domestic and commercial consumers are requested to clear their electricity dues otherwise KPDCL will have no option left to disconnect power supply” MD KPDCL held.(KNS)
