Patna, Jan. 10: A special drive launched by the Patna Electric Supply Undertaking (Pesu) to check power theft and realise arrears has started paying rich dividends.

The department has collected Rs 12 crore on account of arrears in just one month.

Pesu had launched the drive under the aegis of Bihar State Electricity Board (BSEB) which had started a three-month-long campaign to realise arrears pending since December 1, 2010.

The consumers listed under the seven area boards of BSEB altogether owe Rs 7,000 crore arrear. Around Rs 3,000 crore of the amount is, in fact, pending against various government departments.

“After the completion of the first month of the special drive, from December 1 to January 1, we have collected Rs 12 crore on account of arrears. The drive will gain momentum as we have decided to intensify it to put pressure on defaulters,” Pesu general manager S.K.P. Singh told The Telegraph.

Pesu has snapped electricity connections of around 1,700 houses which owe payment to the tune of Rs 8 crore, Singh said and added that 167 FIRs have been lodged against those found involved in power theft of around Rs 3 crore.

The general manager said that the undertaking has collected Rs 50.5 crore revenue in December alone against the average monthly collection of Rs 42 crore.

Pesu launched its campaign a little early in November 18 to nail the consumers who had either defaulted payment or resorted to power theft. It is lodging criminal cases against the erring consumers who owe more than Rs 180 crore as electricity dues, on a day-to-day basis.

Under the Pesu drive, an officer of assistant engineer-rank conducts raids on premises which owe more than Rs 10,000 as electricity dues and disconnects the lines if dues are not cleared by the consumers. Out of Rs 550 crore dues of Pesu, the state government owes a bill to the tune of Rs Rs 225 to Rs 250 crore besides Rs 150 crore which have already been disconnected on account of non-payment.

Some big consumers, including industrialists, whose connections have been snapped have filed cases in courts.

Out of a total of Rs 150 crore dues, bills to the tune of Rs 50 crore are stuck in legal disputes and hence total revenue of Rs 100 crore, Singh said adding that the undertaking has set the target of achieving it by March 2011.

Power fillip

Pesu has collected Rs 12 crore in December alone under special drive to realise arrears

BSEB has launched a three-month special drive from December 1 to February 28 to nail erring defaulters and those involved in power pilferage

Pesu disconnected the lines of around 1700 consumers who owe payment to the tune of Rs 8 crore

Around 167 FIRs lodged against those found involved in power theft of about Rs 3 crore

Out of a total of Rs 150 crore of Pesu’s dues, bills to the tune of Rs 50 crore are stuck in legal disputes

Consumers of all the seven area boards altogether owe Rs 7,000 crore to BSEB, of which around Rs 3,000 crore is pending against government departments