Imphal, May 24: In a significant move aimed at streamlining distribution of power, curb power theft, enhance revenue collection and most importantly improve the power supply situation a meeting of top officials of Power Department presided over by Power Minister Phungzathang Tonsing was held this afternoon at Old Secretariat.

The meeting decided to provide one month's time (upto June) for reconnection of power lines that had been earlier severed owing to detection of unauthorised connections.

No fine with the exception of connection fee would be levied by the department for these new connections.

The meeting also decided to initiate legal actions through Special Electricity Court against those consumers who fail to comply to the stipulated timeframe.

It may be mentioned here that an office memorandum was issued on May 22 regarding the streamlining of collection of taxes.

According to the memorandum, clearance of taxes and formalities of the regularisation of new connections can be completed by the consumers through 25 booths opened in this regard across the State.

A monitoring cell headed by the Executive Engineer, Rural Electrification Division No-II will also be established at Keishampat Power House Complex in this regard.

The cell will monitor revenue collections drives and number of Court cases taken up against offenders pertaining to power theft under the Electricity Act 2003 .

Meanwhile, a Power Department source said that the move has been initiated in order to reduce the gap between realised energy and supplied energy.

Explaining on it, the source stated that the total input of power in the State from all sources was 678.429 Million Unit in 2007-08, while the total billed/sold energy was only 329.894 MU which illustrates that the transmission and distribution loss soared upto 51.37 percent during this time.

The source further added that the outstanding dues as on March 31 last is Rs 228.51 and informed that more than half of the total input of energy went waste owing to power theft and unauthorised connections, the crucial factor for erratic power supply in the State.

The source further added that change in the attitude/conduct of consumers is the need of the hour to prevent the situation from further deterioration.

Cautioning that the situation will only worsen in case consumers continue to pillage power, he pointed out that with each passing year the demand is increasing contrary to very limited number of billed consumers.

the source conveyed to the general public to avail such opportunity being schemed by the Government so as to bring change in the power situation of the State.

In today's meeting, officials concerned were advised to submit list of untraceable disconnected consumers to Superintending Engineer (Commercial) immediately, while separate lists for consumers having arrears above Rs 2,000 to Rs 4,999, Rs 5,000 to Rs 9,999 and Rs 10,000 will be prepared at the sub-divisional level.

The meeting was attended by Commissioner, chief engineer, additional chief engineer I&II, superintending engineers, executive engineers, assistant engineers and section officers of the Power Department.

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