Imphal: Officers and staff of the Manipur State Power Distribution Company Limited (MSPDCL) have conducted a series of crackdowns, as the state has faced a power crisis over the past month.
From the first week of February to the present, they have arrested over 300 individuals on charges of power theft across Manipur.
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During the drive, MSPDCL officials also cut off the electricity connection of more than 100 “Low Tension consumers” for failing to clear their outstanding bills.
Dr. Sailesh Kumar Chourasia, the Manipur government power commissioner, attributed the current power crisis to inadequate energy sources and low revenue returns.
He explained that the state typically faces a power crisis from January to March.
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He further revealed that failure to pay bills and using electricity through fraudulent connections are the primary causes of the low revenue, which, in turn, affects the department’s ability to purchase the required amount of power from other northeastern state power grids.
Authorities charged the arrested individuals under section 135 of the Electricity Act, 2003, which states that anyone guilty of “theft of electricity” may face imprisonment for up to three years, a fine, or both.
The severity of the penalty depends on the scale of the theft and whether it is a first-time offense or a repeat offense.