G Mathivathanan

Bhubaneswar, April 25: The Odisha government has decided to initiate steps to check power theft because of which the state is suffering a loss to the tune of Rs 3,200 crore per annum.

A state-level vigilance nodal officer in the rank of a retired IPS officer will be appointed to regulate functioning of all the 34 energy police station set up across the state. Out of the 34 special police stations, 29 are operational now. Another five energy police stations will be opened up soon.

Interview for the nodal post was held on Friday and government picked up one officer. “We have finalised the name and the Odisha vigilance department has given its clearance,” said a senior official of the Odisha energy department. The Odisha home department has agreed to grant all sorts of power and provide required personnel to man the energy police stations.

Odisha energy secretary G. Mathivathanan said: “The home department has agreed to fill up at least half of the vacancies existing in the police stations soon. The monthly expenses of a police station will come around Rs 3 lakh and each energy police station will be asked to collect at least 20 times of the recurring expenses that come around Rs 60 lakh through fine.”

Now, Odisha’s transmission and distribution loss, along with its commercial loss, has been pegged at 40 per cent. “If we save 1 per cent power theft, the state can save nearly Rs 80 crore per annum on this front. On the other hand, if continuous raids to check power theft reduces power loss by 10 per cent, Odisha can save at least Rs 800 crore on this front,” said the energy secretary.

Officials said each police station would be asked to carry out at least 30 raids a month. In the first phase, five inspectors, 15 sub-inspectors, 20 assistant sub-inspectors, 12 havildars and 100 constables will be provided to the energy police stations. “They will not be involved in others works except checking the power pilferage,” said Mathivathanan.

Under the state-level vigilance nodal officers, four senior officials in the rank of additional superintendent of police will be posted in the four distribution companies — Central Electricity Supply Utility (Cesu), Western Electricity Supply Company (Wesco), Northern Electricity Supply Company (Nesco) and Southern Electricity Supply Company (Southco).

In each police station, one electrical engineer in the rank of assistant engineer will be appointed. “The engineer will help the police to crack the defunct meter and power theft,” said an official.

The office of the state nodal vigilance officer will operate from the Gridco office. Each police station will be provided with necessary infrastructure, including vehicle.

Odisha is suffering from unscheduled power cuts because of severe crunch in power supply. “The ongoing industrialisation has put an additional pressure on the government. Apart from power generation, we have decided to reduce the power theft,” said the official.

Odisha is expecting to generate over 700MW of additional power in 2012 and another 500MW is expected by 2013. There is an increase of 3 per cent in coal production whereas the power demand has increased to 7 per cent to 8 per cent. The Odisha government has signed 29 MoUs to set up coal-based thermal power plants that will include three ultra-megawatt power plant commitments from the government.