76 pandals accused of power theft

Statesman News Service

MALDA, 29 SEPT: A total of 76 puja committees have been blacklisted in Malda district by the West Bengal Electricity Distribution Company Limited (WBEDCL) for malpractice over power connection.

The divisional manager of the WBEDCL has informed the matter to police and civil administration, and have asked them to take the next course of action against the Puja committees.

Also, that the committees seek permission before organising pujas in future, has been urged.

A total of 535 puja committees applied for power connection out of whom 76 puja committees secured connection illegally and consumed more power than its estimated load of consumption. Interestingly, more than 10 per cent puja committees including the big budget ones in English Bazaar town (district headquarters) consumed power illegally.

The judges’ team on behalf of the administration has decided that it would not recommend prize to the organisers who allegedly managed power illegally.

One of the judges said that some puja organisers had presented standard creation in their puja pandals and deserved prizes based on other criteria but we would cancel such recommendations for illegally consuming power connections.

The judges also suggested that from the time of the Pujas till immersion, police verification is mandatory to know if any particular puja committee, who had won appreciation for organisation, had any earlier bad report.

According to the divisional manager of the WBEDCL, Mr D Mondal, the department had detected malpractice in 12 puja pandals out of 64 ones on 24 September during a special raid. Similarly, on 25 September, the departmental officials identified 30 puja committees out of 90 who had consumed power illegally. Again on 26 and 27 September, the department detected 34 other puja committees out of 179 ones who had indulged in such malpractice.

On the basis of an estimated consumption, 535 puja committees had deposited Rs 7.90 lakh to the electricity department.

“After detection of malpractices we have charged a spot fine of Rs 50,957 from 76 puja organisers”, said Mr Mondal.

The electricity department had lodged an FIR against a puja committee located at Baharal in Ratua for hackling electricity staff and denying payment of power consumption.