MUMBAI: In a major meterchecking drive across the state this week, MSEDCL has detected 849 ‘rigged’ meters, which showed 0-30 units monthly consumption across Maharashtra.
The drive was carried out in Konkan, Pune, Nagpur and Aurangabad regions. A total 1.4 lakh meters were checked, of which nearly 22,000 were found faulty with 0-30 readings. Konkan includes part of Mumbai metropolitan region.
“We booked 849 consumers for power theft under section 135 of Electricity Act, 2003. As for the remaining faulty meters, they were found to be defective, dead, running slow or with display problems. We are replacing all such meters on an urgent basis,” said MSEDCL managing director Vijay Singhal.
The meters include those of residential, commercial and industrial use. MSEDCL supplies electricity to over 2.6 crore users across the state.
Sources said 43 lakh meters across the state were found to have low monthly readings, with most cases being of those not occupying their flats or have kept their business establishments shut. Of the 43 lakh meters, 1.4 lakh have been checked and the remaining will be checked too, an official said, although this could take time.
Those checked include over 29,000 meters in Aurangabad, where 6,491 were found faulty and 52,000 in Konkan, of which 6,920 were found faulty.
In Nagpur, over 35,000 meters were checked for 0-30 unit readings, of which 5,190 were found faulty and in Pune, over 20,000 meters were inspected, of which 4,000 were found faulty, an official added.
