Heavy losses force Bihar power firm to resort to stern measures

The South Bihar Power Distribution Company Limited (SBPDCL), one of the two government-owned discoms in Bihar, supplying power to 17 of its 38 districts, including capital Patna, is billing consumers for around 65% of the electricity that goes into its distribution system, say officials.

The remaining 35% is lost as aggregate transmission and commercial (AT&C) loss when the regulator approves of only 15%.

Officials monitoring the loss have assessed that power pilferage by consumers, either with the connivance of discom staff or without them, contributes to the bulk of the AT&C loss.

The SBPDCL has now stepped up the heat to curb its losses by launching a spirited anti-power theft drive before the regulator undertakes the true-up exercise