close
close

Association-anemone

Bite-sized brilliance in every update

Ludhiana: At 16k, PSPCL sees rise in power thefts
asane

Ludhiana: At 16k, PSPCL sees rise in power thefts

OfRishika KritiLudhiana

November 17, 2024 10:28 PM IST

Most of the crimes were recorded in Khanna, Ludhiana, where 4,783 cases of theft were reported, followed by the city’s west circle (4,175 cases)

The Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has reported a significant increase in power theft cases in Ludhiana district this year. By the end of September, the corporation had detected 16,111 cases of power theft, almost double the 8,887 cases recorded during the same period in 2023.

PSPCL has inspected over 1.01 lakh power connections in the central area this year. (HT file)
PSPCL has inspected over 1.01 lakh power connections in the central area this year. (HT file)

An official familiar with the matter disclosed that PSPCL has recovered 13.63 crore in the same fine so far this year compared to 9.88 crore was collected in the same period last year. “The dates for October and November are still being compiled. The report for the previous month is usually completed in the last days of the current month,” he noted.

According to accessed data, PSPCL has inspected over 1.01 lakh power connections in the central area this year, marking a 10% increase over last year’s 92,352 inspections.

Most of the crimes were recorded in Khanna, where 4,783 cases of theft were reported, followed by the city’s west circle (4,175 cases). Other regions such as the suburban circle and the eastern circle of the city also recorded significant incidents.

In particular, Khanna became the hotspot for theft detection, with 3,381 cases found. It is followed by areas like Janta Nagar and Sunder Nagar with 2,091 and 1,711 cases respectively.

In terms of fines, the western circle of the city comprising areas like Model Town and Aggar Nagar tops the list, contributing to 4.83 crore recovered, closely followed by the city’s eastern circle at 4.56 crore and suburban circle at 2.48 crores.

In response, Central Zone Chief Engineer Jagdev Singh Hans mentioned that PSPCL’s enforcement and distribution teams conduct weekly raids to crack down on these illegal activities and impose fines on violators.