Srinagar, Nov 25: Acting sternly against the power theft and irregularities, the Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL) intensified its night patrolling and inspection drives during which 1117 consumers have been disconnected, and a substantial revenue of Rs.29.89 cr has been recovered in the last four days.
The clampdown comes in view of the illegal hooking and unauthorised power usage which has led to the power crises across the valley.
Focused on curbing widespread hooking, load violations, and meter bypassing, KPDCL aims to provide relief to genuine consumers. The intensified drives have led to increased revenue collection, with Rs.9.18 crore recovered on Friday alone as pending arrear dues.
During the crackdown, 1153 inspections were conducted across Kashmir Division. Circle-wise, 98 inspections were conducted in Circle I Srinagar, 233 in Circle II Srinagar, 367 in Circle Ganderbal, 140 in Circle Pulwama, 142 in Circle Bijbehara, and 154 in Circle Sopore. The Corporation added around 228 KW load during these drives.
A penalty of Rs.7.81 lakh was imposed on unauthorized power usage under Section 126 of the Electricity Act. Additionally, 1117 connections, spanning domestic, commercial, and industrial sectors, were disconnected due to non-payment of energy dues pending for over three months. This included 886 domestic, 212 commercial, and 17 industrial consumers.
Expressing concern, a KPDCL spokesperson highlighted the rising damage to Domestic Transformers (DTs) and the strain it puts on meeting government-set timelines. On Friday alone, 62 DTs were reported damaged due to overloading, prompting the repair and replacement of 61 transformers.
The Corporation urges consumers to settle pending bills promptly to avoid disconnection, emphasizing the importance of timely payments for the smooth functioning of the power distribution system.
