NELLORE: Corruption is rampant in AP Southern Power Distribution Company, especially in the areas dotted with aquaculture units in SPSR Nellore district. The arrest of an assistant engineer of the AP Southern Discom while collecting a bribe Rs 50,000 to provide a transformer to an aqua farmer at Vakadu on Tuesday night is only a tip of the iceberg.
It is said that many discom staffers are on the pay rolls of aqua farmers and help the latter save on power bills through various methods including tampering of meters. The vigilance department had booked 53 cases of power theft and imposed a fine of Rs 1.5 crore on aqua farmers in Vakadu and Kota area in 2014. During investigations they found the role of three southern discom staff, including two linemen and a clerk behind the tampering of meters.
According to vigilance wing inspector of Nellore division Nageswaramma, 480 cases for power pilferage had been booked and fine of fine of Rs 3 crore ws collected in 2016. The wing has booked 321 cases and imposed a fine of Rs 1.38 crore for first half of 2017 till June. The number of cases is 450-500 and fine is to the extent of Rs 2.5 crore-Rs 3 crore during recent years, Ms Nageswaramma said. She said that the cases booked against three APSPDCL staff are pending in court. She said they had also booked 12 cases against the aqua farmers for second offence after arresting them in the recent past.
