One of the key reasons for the power shortfall seems to be the theft of almost 25 per cent of the total electricity billed, a staggering 2.75 million units per year.
NEW DELHI: As the national capital faces an acute power shortage summer after summer, one of the key reasons for the shortfall seems to be the theft of almost 25 per cent of the total electricity billed, a staggering 2.75 million units per year.
"The three distribution companies in the capital together supply about 19 million units of electricity. Out of this, nearly 35 per cent is not billed,” Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission Secretary Somit Dasgupta said.
"Considering that 10 per cent remains unaccounted for due to transmission losses, we can say that 25 per cent of it is stolen from the mains,” he said.
What is worse, the Resident's Welfare Associations and Citizen's Forums say that the price for this "stolen electricity" has to be borne by citizens who pay their bills sincerely. Asked about this complaint about the "extra" tariff which is forced on registered consumers, Dasgupta said the discoms had to recover their tariffs to meet targets. "It (theft) used also happen when the Delhi Vidyut Board was functional and there is nothing much DERC can do about it," he said.
The issue has to be primarily dealt with by distribution companies, Dasgupta said. However, he said "any individual can approach DERC if the case of theft is against any distribution company." Besides providing poor service to consumers, power discom BYPL has also been named as a party to theft of power in east Delhi in a case lodged by RWAs with the DERC.
The RWAs have complained that consumers had to pay exorbitant power rates due to the connivance of BSES staff in alleged "organised power theft".
They have approached the DERC Chairman to intervene in the matter.
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