New Delhi, March 17, 2006

Press Release

Two petrol pumps on the way to the Airport caught stealing power by BSES

• 2 Petrol pumps in South Delhi found with tampered meters – fined Rs 68 lakh
• 11 cases of meter tampering in the posh Pharma Apartments in I P Extension

(A) BSES Enforcement Teams find meter tampering at two petrol pump outlets – Rs 68 lakhs fined

Continuing with its unrelenting campaign against power theft, BSES Enforcement Teams today (March 17) raided two petrol pumps - both in South Delhi and enroute to the Airport.

Both the petrol pumps – M/s Anand Service Station (near the Radisson Hotel) and Dhaula Kuan Service Station were found to have deliberately tampered their meters by 32 percent and 45 percent respectively.

“M/s Anand Service Station and Dhaula Kuan Service Station having sanctioned loads of 40 KW and 41 KW respectively have been booked for Dishonest Abstraction of Energy (DAE), under the provisions of the Electricity Act, 2003. A penalty amount of Rs 50 lakh and Rs 18 lakh respectively is being slapped on them”, said a BSES official.

According to Mr Lalit Jalan, Director BSES “We have taken a serious view of meter tampering at the petrol pumps. We have put the petrol pumps under a strict watch and will be carrying more such raids in the days to come”

(B) 15 houses in the elite Pharma Apartments found with tampered meters – fined between Rs 50,000    and Rs 1 lakh

Over two days, BSES Enforcement Teams raided 15 houses in the posh Pharma Apartments – occupied mainly by doctors in I P Extension in East Delhi and found them cumulatively stealing electricity of over 120 KW by way of meter tampering.

Each of the houses raided had a connected load between 5 and 10 KW and was found to have deliberately slowed their meters between 50 and 90 percent. They are being booked for Dishonest Abstraction of Energy (DAE).  An average penalty between Rs 50,000 and Rs 1 lakh is being levied Tampered meters belong to the following houses in B block - 1/3, 1/5, 1/10. 1/12, 3/33, 11/135, 5 / 57, 19/234, 6/69, 6/76 6/73, 2/18, 15/89.  1 / 9 and 11/135

“A disturbing trend that emerged from these raids is that the method of meter tampering in Pharma Apartments was exactly the same that was used in the neighboring Neelkanth Apartments – where 17 cases of meter tampering were recently discovered – pointing towards the handiwork of an organized gang” said a BSES official.

“Another interesting aspect of the raids was the discovery of 4 de tampered meters – meters which still had their seals broken and once tampered but now were restored to their original accuracy levels”, added the official.

According to a BSES spokesperson “Raids conducted by enforcement teams of both BRPL and BYPL have revealed a shocking truth – meter tampering has become the modus operandi of the resident and commercial establishments in Delhi. They cheat not only the discoms, but also put an undue burden on our systems as well as tariffs”.

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