Chandigarh: Power theft in Punjab has surged to an alarming ₹2600 crore annually, despite free electricity being provided to domestic consumers.
The Punjab government allocates over ₹6000 crore as a subsidy for 300 free units and an additional ₹1400 crore for a ₹2.50 rebate for consumers with loads up to 7 KW during the 2023-24 fiscal year.
Half of the annual power theft, around ₹1300 crore, comes from 20 divisions of the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL), predominantly in the border, west, and south zones.
According to reports, the highest instances of theft occur in the border zone, followed by the west and south zones.
Major theft-prone areas include the Tarn Taran circle with four divisions, and the Ferozpur, Suburban Amritsar, and Sangrur circles, each with three divisions. Bhikhiwind, Patti, and Zira divisions alone have revenue losses exceeding ₹110 crore each, while West Amritsar records ₹92 crore in losses.
Combined, these four divisions account for around ₹435 crore in lost revenue. Six PSPCL divisions in rural areas report distribution losses exceeding 50%, with Bhikhiwind topping the list at 73.32%, followed by Patti (65.02%), Zira (64.9%), and West Amritsar (62.96%). Rural areas in the 20 theft-prone divisions face a total revenue loss of ₹900 crore, while urban areas experience ₹400 crore in losses.
Urban divisions such as Patti, Ajnala, Bhagta Bhai, and West Amritsar are among the most affected, with 14 divisions recording annual revenue losses between ₹56 crore and ₹113 crore.
V K Gupta, a retired engineer, attributes the revenue losses to rampant power theft in politically sensitive areas, particularly in the border belt, which is a hotspot for such activities.
In response, the Punjab government has filed 296 FIRs at anti-power theft police stations across the state in August.
