Little facilities make it hard to check power theft incidents

Gagandeep Sharma

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Bathinda, May 24

The state government has set up anti-power theft police stations to help the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited to check cases of electricity thefts.

However, due to lack of facilities, the officials at these police stations are facing problems.

An anti-power theft police station has been set up at the gate no. 3 of Thermal colony.

It has the responsibility to check electricity theft cases in six districts of Malwa — Bathinda, Ferozpur, Faridkot, Mansa, Muktsar and Fazilka.

A case is registered here for a power theft incident.

The Bathinda Tribune team found that there are 24 policemen at the ant-power theft police station.

They have only one vehicle, an old model Qualis, which is in bad position.

A former station house officer said sometimes constables had to spend their own money for performing their duty.

When the police station gets more than one complaint, officials have to hire vehicles on their own, he added.

According to reports, more than 1,000 complaints pour in every year from Bathinda, Ferozpur, Faridkot, Mansa, Muktsar and Fazilka.

However, there has been pendency in solving such complaints.

When contacted, Balraj Singh, in-charge of the anti-power theft police station, said, “We have only 24 policemen with single vehicle. The shortage of staff and vehicles is in the knowledge of senior officials.”