26000 power theft cases booked in Andhra Pradesh: loss put at Rs 11 crore

VIJAYAWADA:  In the year 2017 over 26,000 power theft cases were booked in the Krishna district, with net loss to the State exchequer being over Rs11 crore. This becomes alarming given the fact that AP is an energy-efficient state having bagged several awards.According to official sources, of all the theft cases registered, cases concerning additional load, which caused a net loss of Rs 8 crore to the State, tops the list, with consumers mainly booked for tampering with meters and indulging in direct tapping etc. to reduce electricity bills.

To be specific in 2017, 26,133 power theft cases were registered in the Krishna District and the net loss caused to the State exchequer for that was Rs 11.13 crore. Of these 26,133 cases registered, 22,636 cases alone were booked under additional load, at an estimated loss of rs 8.92 crore. Additional load cases relates to consumers using excess power without upgrading their metered usage. The electricity board officials collected `13.37 crore as fines during the year. The amount, however, includes  fines on pending 1641 cases of 2016.

Cases related to additional load factor increases during the summer months – between March and June. However, this year there will be lesser number of registered cases, than it was during the corresponding period last year, especially in the urban areas, said officials. “There won’t be much of power theft cases in the Urban areas. During the months in summer season – March to June – large number of additional load cases are registered, as people tend to use air conditioners, refrigerators etc.