The Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco) has earned Rs 37.73 crore by detecting 5,275 cases of power theft between April and November 2011

The collection included the assessment levy of Rs 33.42 crore and the compounding fee of Rs 4.31 crore.

According to sources in Tangedco, 18 anti-power theft squads of the enforcement wing inspected 1,13,528 connections and found that 5,275 were found to be involved in theft. As much as 2.94 crore units have been stolen during this period.

“There is a five-fold increase in detection of theft cases between 2000-01 and 2010-11. In the same period, the number of cases detected has increased from 1,111 to 6,544 and thereby pushing the earning from Rs 8.20 crore to Rs 50.70 crore.

We have detected 5,275 cases in the first eight month of this fiscal year,” the official said. The ex-servicemen squads formed as per the poll promise of chief minister Jayalalithaa has detected 1,598 theft cases as on November last year and collected Rs 3.14 crore as provisional assessment and Rs 71 lakh as compounding charges.

Meanwhile, Tangedco’s flying squad netted over Rs 1 crore by way of levying penalties for power theft in Virudhunagar. An official release said the power theft by HT consumer was detected following a surprise check conducted by the squad on January 9.

“The consumer has come forward to compound the theft of energy case to avoid criminal proceeding and remitted a sum of Rs 12.5 lakh as compounding charges and a provisional assessment of Rs 98.45 lakh was imposed on the consumer in lieu of theft. Hence no police complaint was lodged,” it said.