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com/city BangaloreMirror | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2011 6

Govt bodies under BESCOM scanner IDEAS@WORK

BESCOM’s vigilance cell cracks down on BBMP and BWSSB officials for allegedly drawing power illegally
MANU PRASAD
START-UPS WITH, AND THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE

I
Suchith.Kidiyoor
@timesgroup.com
t’s not just individual or private consumers
who are accused of stealing power. Even
the government bodies are said to be ille-
gally drawing power. Now, officials of
Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP),
Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board
(BWSSB) and other government agencies have
come under the radar of Bangalore Electricity
Supply Company Limited’s (BESCOM) vigi-
lance officials.
BESCOM, which supplies power to eight
districts across the state, has booked cases
against engineers of the civic bodies and other
officials for drawing electricity from power
lines without the consent of the department.
They have also been booked for not installing
meters to check power consumption.
These officials had used the power for illu-
minating street lights, decorative lights in
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bmfeedback@indiatimes.com
Last year, BESCOM had inspected 7,741
installations and booked 2,218 cases against
errant officials and fined them. “Whenever we
CASES INSPECTED/
BOOKED
go for inspections, these officials argue that
they are using power for civic purposes and not
for personal use,” he said. The law on a
» September:
665/172
» October:
The official said BESCOM filed cases against
them after making preliminary investigations
and fined them as per the provisions of the
Energy Act. “We are also seeking permission to
screen near you KAUSHIK J N
565/128
» November:
prosecute errant officials,” he said.
Last month, an assistant executive engineer
701/153
» December:
of the BBMP was booked for power theft. He
had allegedly drawn power to illuminate the
724/150 street lights on 9th cross, 10th main road at
Srinivasnagar. A penalty of Rs 3 lakh was
imposed on him. In another case, a BBMP engi-
said, “Though officials used power for civic neer was booked at Yelahanka New Town lim-
purposes, they had drawn power without the its and fined Rs 1.20 lakh.
consent of the department.” He said illegal BWSSB engineers too have been booked for
power consumption had caused losses drawing power illegally to lift water from
amounting to crores of rupees to BESCOM. borewells and supply it to different areas. In

parks, for water supply and other purposes.
An official from BESCOM’s vigilance cell
naaptot.
“Higher-ups have told us to book cases against
the errant officials,” said the official.
AA
A
some places, officials had directly drawn power
Lakshman Srikanth
from high tension wires.
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