Copper wire, material stolen from solar panels

Tribune News Service

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Amritsar, January 8

The Cantonment police have booked two workers of Guru Nanak Dev University for allegedly stealing copper wires and materials from solar panels of the recently installed solar power plant.

Harmanpreet Singh, senior engineer of Delhi-based Ayur Power Company, told the police that a copper wire and other materials from solar panels installed on the roof tops of various university departments had been stolen.

He said they had found these materials missing from the roof tops of the English Department, Chemistry Department, Sociology Department, Bio-technology Department and library. “We are assessing the exact quantum of loss and a detailed report will be submitted with the police,” he added.

Harmanpreet said it seemed that two workers — Bakshish Singh and Billa Singh — who were working for them on the project were involved in the theft and they had the responsibility to ensure the safety of the equipment.

Investigating officer Davinder Kumar from the Cantonment police station said a case under Sections 454 and 380 of the IPC had been registered against Bakshish Singh and Billa Singh. He said the suspects are yet to be arrested.

The ambitious project to have a solar energy plant on the university campus was completed recently. Solar panels were installed atop 18 roofs. These panels will be installed on the top of six more buildings in a month.

The project was sanctioned after the university authorities approached the Solar Energy Corporation of India. The university was allocated a solar energy plant of 3 Mega Watt under the Union Government’s Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM).

A Delhi-based firm is entrusted the task to look after the project for 25 years. In return, the university is targeting to get solar electricity at a subsidised rate of Rs3.32 per unit.

Vice-Chancellor Jaspal Singh Sandhu, said, “At present, only six buildings are left to be covered under the project and it will take a month. The project will help the institute save energy and power.”