Punjab State Power Corporation Limited feeders report 50% losses, as high as 90% in border zone

Patiala: The Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has been witnessing a rise in the number of its feeders reporting more than 50% losses due to power theft, even as the border zone of the corporation has been continuously reporting over 90% losses.

Sources in the power sector revealed that there were around 20 divisions in Punjab which had been reporting losses of more than Rs 1,000 crore due to power theft.

The total number of PSPCL’s feeders reporting more than 50% losses has jumped to 517 in the current financial year (2022-23) up to June, whereas in the last fiscal, the number was 406. The number of feeders having more than 50% losses was 230 by end of December 2020.

The distribution and enforcement wing of the PSPCL checked a total of 2,79,356 connections from April to June 2022, of which 34,093 connections reported theft and unauthorised use of electricity, and a fine of Rs 6,047.18 lakh was imposed on such consumers. The PSPCL has submitted before the commission that targets had been given to DS divisions having high percentage of losses, especially due to widespread electricity theft, in Tarn Taran , Faridkot and Bathinda areas, and under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme, smart meters would be installed in the urban areas to check power theft.