The scope of action against illegal construction and unauthorized activities in the submergence area of Hindon River in Noida has now reached the electricity system. Information has come to light that the first case related to electricity theft has been registered in this area. A total of 23 people, including officers and employees associated with the electricity department, have been named in the case. Those named are said to include three junior engineers i.e. JE, one TG-2 employee and six linemen. It is alleged that unauthorized connections were being used to supply electricity to illegal bases and constructions built by bypassing the rules in the Hindon Doob area and through this entire system, huge amounts of money were being recovered over a long period of time.
For a long time, the issue of illegal construction, land encroachment and colonies being developed without permission has been coming to the fore in Noida regarding the submergence area of Hindon River. Recently, Noida Authority has also taken action against illegal construction in Hindon Doob area and freed a large land from encroachment. From this it is clear that the administration and authorities are now keeping an eye on the unauthorized activities going on in this entire area.
This case of electricity theft has also raised serious questions because normally the role of network is investigated at the local level in providing illegal electricity connections in an area. After the names of departmental employees are revealed in this case, the scope of investigation is not going to be limited only to those who steal electricity, but it will also be seen at what level the alleged illegal connections were approved, facilitated or protected and how this system continued for a long time.
It is being told that many such construction and residential activities have been coming to light in the Hindon submergence area, on which questions have been raised regarding legality. Providing electricity connection in such areas in itself becomes an important point of scrutiny. If the legality of any construction or premises is doubtful and there is a regular electricity connection operating there, then the investigating agencies try to find out on the basis of which document the connection was given and how the site was verified by the concerned authorities.
Involvement of names of three JEs in this case is also considered important from the point of view of investigation. The work of Junior Engineer is important in technical inspection related to power system and local level arrangements. Similarly, the role of TG-2 and lineman level employees can also come into play in the work related to connections, lines and meters. Therefore, in the investigation by the police or the concerned department, it can be seen what kind of role the named employees allegedly played and which areas or consumers they had contact with.
After the names of six linemen came to light in the case, the question is also being raised that if illegal connections were going on on a large scale then why were they not caught during regular inspection. In cases of electricity theft, situations like tampering with the line, tampering with the meter, taking electricity by connecting direct wires or using electricity in a manner different from the approved connection are usually investigated. In this case of Hindon submergence area also, technical investigation of the alleged connections and the records related to them can become important evidence.
The most serious allegation pertains to recovery of crores of rupees through illegal connections. The genuineness of such allegation will be determined only on the basis of investigation and available records. In the investigation, it will be necessary to find out how many connections were given, how many premises electricity reached, for how long this system lasted and how much amount was allegedly recovered. If a large number of connections are found each connection can also be examined separately.
In this entire matter, checking the records of the electricity department will be very important. Connection application, consumer number, meter details, load, date of connection, inspection report and billing records can help in ascertaining on what basis electricity was given to the concerned premises. Along with this, it can also be a part of the investigation whether the constructions present at the places where electricity connections were given were legal or not.
The issue of illegal construction in Hindon Doob area has already been at the center of administrative action. In a recent action, Noida Authority has informed about freeing about 27,800 square meters of land from illegal encroachment and has also warned of action if illegal construction happens again. In such a situation, due to the case of electricity theft coming to light, there is a possibility of more strict monitoring of the activities going on in the submerged area.
Since the names of 23 people have surfaced in the case, this investigation cannot be limited to electricity theft only. If the investigation proves that an employee knowingly bypassed the rules and provided an illegal connection, then separate departmental and legal action can be taken against him. The role of those who allegedly stole electricity or used illegal connections will also be determined separately.
After this action, concern may also increase among those people who have invested in land or construction related activities in the Hindon flood area. The validity of any construction in a submerged area is not proved merely by having an electricity connection. The status of land use, construction permission and other necessary approvals for the concerned construction is seen separately. Therefore, it would not be appropriate to consider getting electricity connection as the final confirmation of valid construction.
The biggest challenge before the administration will now be to find out how big was the network of alleged illegal electricity connections. If such connections are found at one location then inspection can be done in the surrounding areas as well. This will help in finding out whether the matter was limited to one area or a few premises or whether a similar arrangement was going on in many parts of the submergence area.
During the investigation, the possible revenue loss due to electricity theft can also be assessed. For this, calculations are done at the departmental level based on the duration of the connection, estimated power consumption and applicable rates. If any consumer or premises has used electricity more than the prescribed capacity then that aspect can also be investigated.
An important aspect of this entire incident is that the administrative action against illegal construction in Hindon Doob area and the investigation of electricity theft now seem to be linked to each other. Examining the source of availability of basic amenities like electricity, water and roads in any unauthorized settlement or construction area can help in understanding how the area developed and its status as recorded in the records of the concerned departments.
The allegations against the employees named in the case are still under investigation. Mere registration of name in the FIR does not prove the allegation against a person. The police and the concerned department will have to determine the role of each person on the basis of available documents, electricity connection records, technical inspection and other evidence. Further legal and departmental action will be decided on this basis.
After the recent authority action in Hindon Doob area, the administration has indicated strictness against illegal construction. Now the case of electricity theft has given another new dimension to the monitoring of this area. If the investigation finds evidence of unauthorized connections or departmental collusion on a large scale, more names may emerge in the coming days and the investigation may be extended to other areas as well. At present, only after the investigation by the police and the concerned department in this case, it will be clear how big was the network of alleged illegal connections, how much amount was recovered and to what extent the role of each of the 23 named people was played.