Power division in the district could also be fast in slapping fine on defaulters however is proving ineffective in realising the fine from them, division’s personal information present. With officers being blamed for levying “improper penalties”, the identical are getting challenged and even after years failing to get settled.
“Now, senior officers of the division have began taking a tricky stand on the restoration of the pending penalties price crores. From chief and superintending engineers to government engineers and sub-divisional officers, directions have been given to all to do the needful to get well the fine on precedence,” stated a senior state power division official.
Data present that from 2017 to June 2023, out of the overall fine mounted by the power division price ₹239.71 crore in whole 19,272 instances of electrical energy theft, only ₹13.13 crore has been recovered thus far. Even after repeated warnings and restoration notices (RCs) served to the individuals caught stealing power, the due quantity has nonetheless not been deposited.
“Cooperation of the district administration is being taken for restoration of the quantity of fine levied on the defaulters. For this, RCs are additionally being served on the individuals involved” stated Ram Awadh Yadav, public relations officer, Pashchimanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Restricted O(PVVNL), Prayagraj.
Lately, the managing director of PVVNL visited Prayagraj to overview income assortment and had pulled up the officers for arbitrarily levying fine and failing to get them settled. He identified that the officers gave the impression to be levying excessive penalties on individuals due to which individuals weren’t capable of deposit the fine even when they wished to. He instructed officers to make sure that appropriate assessments in instances of power theft have been made.