JSEB officials remove illegal power connections at Jawaharnagar locality in Mango on Wednesday. (Bhola Prasad)

The Jharkhand State Electricity Board (JSEB) coffers were left jingling with over Rs 6 lakh following surprise raids in different areas under Jamshedpur and Chaibasa circle on Wednesday.

FIRs were also filed against as many as 80 consumers for electricity theft and pilferage.

The JSEB authorities said several anomalies like tampering of meter, illegal connections through hooking and bypassing the metre came to light. Those found guilty were asked to pay necessary fines.

The board recovered fines amounting to Rs 4.51 lakh in Jamshedpur circle, where the raids were conducted at Jawaharnagar, Azad Bustee (both in Mango) and Karandih. A similar drive in Chaibasa circle yielded cash by way of fines to the tune of Rs 2.11 lakh.

Superintending engineer Om Prakash Ambaste, who is also officiating as the general manager of Singhbhum Area Board, said 44 FIRs were lodged in Jamshedpur circle and 35 in Chaibasa.

“The raids were conducted by different groups on the directive of the JSEB headquarters in Ranchi. Apart from Jamshedpur and Chaibasa, raids were also carried out in Chakradharpur, Seraikela, Adityapur and Ghatshila,” he said.

Sources revealed that during similar raids carried out in July last year, about 150 FIRs were lodged against consumers for electricity theft and pilferage at Jamshedpur and Chaibasa. That was the highest number of FIRs filed in recent times.

According to JSEB officials, such raids would be carried out on a monthly basis. “The idea is to pep up the revenues of the electricity board,” said an official.