CHANDIGARH: The Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab Government has intensified its crusade against power theft, registering 296 FIRs at Anti Power Theft Police Stations across the state in August alone. Additionally, 38 employees have been terminated for engaging in corrupt practices.
Punjab Power Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO disclosed this in a press communiqué issued here on Tuesday. “To curb revenue losses, regular checks and raids are being conducted statewide, leading to the registration of 90 FIRs in Patiala Zone, 79 in Amritsar Zone, 71 in Bathinda Zone, 29 in Ludhiana Zone and 27 in Jalandhar Zone”, said the Power Minister.
Emphasizing that these FIRs were filed in line with the Punjab Government's zero-tolerance policy against corruption, the Power Minister said that 37 outsourced meter-readers and one supervisor have been terminated for corrupt practices during the last two months. He said that the corruption and power theft will not be tolerated under any circumstances.
Power Minister reiterated the commitment to combating power theft, stating that stringent measures against this menace will continue unabated. He issued a stern warning to those involved in power theft to cease their activities and get their power connections regularised. "The Power Department is resolute in its determination to eradicate power theft, which is a significant drain on the state's resources, " said the Power Minister while adding that no stone would be left unturned in identifying and prosecuting those who engage in this illegal activity.
Power Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO has already issued explicit instructions to the Power Department officials to carry out extensive special inspections across the state. The objective of these inspections is twofold: to prevent power theft and to recover the revenue losses incurred due to these illicit activities.