New Delhi, June 23, 2006

Press Release

Four illegal ice factories sealed

Caught red-handed stealing 300 KW electricity

Penalty of Rs 2.8 crore being imposed

SDM led BSES enforcement and Delhi Police raiding party

• West Delhi : SDM leads a BSES-Delhi Police (led by SHO) team’s raid on 4 illegal ice factories
• ‘Sealed’ ice factories caught stealing 300 KW of power, amounting to over Rs 2.78 crore in dues
• Ice factories, carrying out operations in violation of guidelines issued by SDM, Health and Pollution Departments of the Govt. of NCT of Delhi.
• East Delhi: Four illegal dyeing factories caught stealing 145 KW, penalty due Rs 43 lakh
• South Delhi: Removed 500 illegally tappings using 400 KW of electricity – affecting quality of supply in New Friends Colony, CSIR Apartments and Siddharth Extension

Have you ever wondered what chills your favorite drink bottle or for that matter where your pair of jeans gets dyed? More often than not, the ice that is used to chill bottles is manufactured in illegal ice factories and similarly clothes are also dyed and coloured at illegal factories – both using stolen electricity. This was substantiated during anti power theft raids recently conducted by the BSES Enforcement Team – supported by Delhi Police and led by local Sub Division Magistrate.

Raids by BSES Enforcement Teams recently on four ice factories; four dyeing units and three residential clusters unearthed a cumulative power theft of over 850 KW, amounting to over Rs 3.2 crore in penalties.

(A)  Joint SDM, Police (led by SHO) and BSES power theft raid on illegal and sealed ice factories, finds power theft of over 300 KW, amounting to over Rs 2.78 crore in penalties

Acting on tip offs, BSES Enforcement Teams, along with the area SDM and Police Team (led by the area SHO) raided four ice factories in Najafgargh and caught them red handed stealing power of over 300 KW, by hooking from the nearby BSES LV mains. A cumulative penalty of over Rs 2.78 crore is liable to be imposed. The raiding team also seized illegal wires and incriminating documents proving that the ice factories were operating 24 x 7. A FIR  (583/06) under the Electricity Act 2003 has been lodged at the Najafgargh Police Station.

This is not the first time that these ice factories have been raided. In 2004 and 2005 also, BSES Enforcement Teams raided them and were also assaulted by their employees. Even then, FIR’s were registered at the Najafgargh Police Station.

“It is worth mentioning that these factories were carrying out their illegal operations, in violation and complete disregard of various orders of the SDM, Health and Pollution Departments of the Govt. of NCT of Delhi. These factories had been sealed by the SDM in May 2006” said a BSES official and added “In all these factories, employees had devised indigenous ways to gain access without disturbing the seals”

(B)  Illegal Jeans Dyeing Units caught stealing 145 KW of electricity, amounting to Rs 43.5 lakh in penalties

In East Delhi, in a joint raid with the Delhi Police, BSES Enforcement Team swooped down on four illegal dyeing units and caught them red handed stealing electricity of over 145 KW, by directly hooking from the nearby BSES LV Mains. Cumulative penalties of over Rs 45 lakh are liable to be imposed.

“These factories, situated in Biharipur near Karawal Nagar used to colour and dye jeans on behalf of large garment exporters” said a BSES official.

(C)  BSES-Delhi Police drive near Ashram Chowk in South Delhi detects 400 KW power theft and

             removes 500 illegal tappings

Meanwhile in South Delhi, in a day long operation, a joint BSES-Delhi Police team detected and removed 500 illegal tappings from 3 clusters situated near the Ashram Chowk and New Friendly Colony. The clusters situated in Sunlight Colony, Siddhartha Colony and Budh Basti were cumulatively and illegally drawing 400 of electricity from the nearby BSES LV Mains. About 1,000 kgs of wire used for the illegal tappings was seized by the enforcement teams.

“The power theft here was having an adverse effect on the quality of power in the posh areas of New Friends Colony, CSIR Apartments, Siddharth Apartments etc”, said a BSES official.

According to a BSES spokesperson “BSES is committed is to eliminate the menace of power theft in Delhi. Since 2002, the company has booked over 38,000 power theft cases and booked an electricity load of over 2.10 lakh KW”  

BSES, Delhi’s premier power distribution company, is committed to ensuring quality and reliable electricity supply to all its consumers.

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