New Delhi, September 19, 2007

Press Release

Now organizers of a Ganpati Mahotsav caught stealing 107 KW power

BSES renews its appeal to all such organizers to take ‘temporary electricity connections’

• Ganpati Mahotsav organizer in Karol Bagh caught stealing over 107 KW of electricity – thanks to a real Ganesha bhakta
• According to the Indian Electricity Act, 2003, organizer faces a penalty of Rs 40 Lakhs
• To hoodwink officials, organizers had kept a generator, which was not connected

Kawaria Camps, then Janamashtmi Pujas and now a Ganpati Mahotsav! Despite repeated appeals to take temporary power connections, some organizers of community functions continue to steal electricity and thereby give celebrations a bad name. After apprehending more than 16 Kawaria Camps and over 20 Janamashtmi Pujas, BSES Enforcement teams have now caught an organizer of a large Ganpati Mahotsav – stealing over 107 KW of power in Karol Bagh.

Organisers of Shri Ganesh Maratha Mandal, thronged by thousands of devotees, were caught stealing electricity by tapping directly onto the nearby BSES overhead LV Mains. According to the provisions of the Indian Electricity Act, 2003, a penalty of around Rs 40 lakh is liable to be imposed on them.

BSES Enforcement Teams were incidentally tipped off by a devout Samaritan who had gone to the venue to participate in the puja ceremony. On reaching the spot, BSES officials found that the organizers had not taken a temporary connection. Rather they had very cleverly stationed a generator near the pandal – which gave the impression as if the venue was lit by the generator.

Being a religious function, BSES enforcement team officials treaded with caution. After innocuously inspecting the venue, the enforcement officials managed to spot the hook that was being used to steal power. Thus, the Enforcement raid carried out in front of thousands of devotees, exposed the organizers of the Mahotsav, who ironically, were preaching lessons on morality and virtues of life to the devotees.

The month of September marks the commencement of the festive season. Important festivals/functions like Ramleela, Durga Pujas, Dushera, Diwali, Id etc fall in these months. This is also the season, which usually sees an increase in the incidence of power theft.

“Residents and Organisers of such functions should avoid illegal tappings from overhead power lines. This directly affects the power supply in the area and unnecessarily overburdens the system and causes unscheduled outages in the area” said a BSES official.

BRPL and BYPL have dispatched letters informing the RWA’s and organizers to take bonafide temporary legal connections. Arrangements have been made for hassle free and on the spot release of temporary connections.

All that customers/organizer, desirous of taking these connections have to do is to contact the local BSES office and give an application on the organizations letter head after obtaining the following clearances:

• NOC from the Fire Department, Local Police, MCD, DDA
• Submit an authorised inspection report

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

For further information please contact:

Prashant Dua	Chandra P Kamat
Corporate Communications	Corporate Communications
39999870 / 9312007822	39999088/9350130304