Delhi CM at loss over power theft figures

When asked to comment on the Power Minister’s statement, his reply was: “We have more information than Shri Kumaramangalam does about the power situation in Delhi.”

Speaking at a press conference today, the Delhi Chief Minister said that the total average power losses for the year 1997-98 were around 43 per cent. Of this, power theft accounts for only 27 per cent. This figure for power theft is 10 per cent lower than that quoted by Kumaramangalam.

However, after saying that he knew more about the power theft situation than Kumaramangalam, the CM contradicted himself later saying: “Maybe the power minister is talking about power theft on one particular day.”

He denied that there was any dispute between him and Kumaramangalam over the issue. When Sahib Singh was asked whether he was implying that Kumaramangalam had given Parliament wrong information, he reiterated that he was “more knowledgeable about Delhi’s power situation than the Union minister”.

Kumaramangalam told Express Newsline later in the evening that the information that he gave Parliament related to March this year. “The figure I gave to the house was 37 per cent of theft and 10 per cent of technical losses giving a total of 47 per cent of T&D losses.”

When asked to comment on the CM’s statement that he knew more about Delhi’s power situation than the power minister, Kumaramangalam said: “He is the CM of Delhi after all. I hope he does know more than I do.”Kumaramangalam added: “The information I gave was provided by the DVB and the Delhi government. Now if they want to change their information or rebut what I have said, then they are most welcome to come to Parliament and answer the questions of MPs. If they want to say that there is no mafia operating in Delhi, then they are most welcome to come and say that also.”

Reacting to Kumaramangalam’s other statement about mafia elements being responsible for Delhi’s power crisis, the CM said that there was collusion by DVB employees in power theft. He added that the collusion was at the level of inspectors and below. “We are compiling a list of employees who are suspected of complicity in power theft and we will be taking action against them soon.”

And while Kumaramangalam told Parliament the technical losses figure was 10 per cent, Sahib Singh today implied that the losses were higher at 16 per cent (technical losses are figured by subtracting power theft from total T&D losses).

He also announced that Sub-Divisional Magistrates would be assigned to each of the districts and they would conduct surprise raids to check power thefts.

Giving information on power theft, the CM said that in raids conducted between May 18 to June 4, 485 cases of theft were booked. The total number of FIRs lodged were 19 and 35 persons were arrested.

Meanwhile complaints about the power situation are still being filed though they are less frequent now. Dr M. Saxena of SFS Flats, Hauz Khas, complained that she has been experiencing power cuts of about four hours a day for over a week: “The power cuts are not in accordance with the load shedding schedule. The schedule says that load shedding is supposed to occur between 3 and 4 p.m. but the reality is that the power goes off even in the morning.

When we called the DVB office yesterday, they said that the staff had all gone to collect their salaries. Other times they simply don’t answer the phone.”

She added: “The water comes only for an hour and if the power is off we cannot draw the water. So the water problem adds to the misery.”