1 week Ago
The Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has reported a steep rise in power violations across the city, with unauthorised load extensions increasing by a staggering 94% till March 2025. While traditional illegal connections have seen a decline, residents are increasingly overloading their sanctioned power supplies, creating significant strain on the city’s power infrastructure and raising serious concerns for the utility. According to annual data, while traditional ‘kundi’ connections (illegal power taps) and meter tampering have seen a 45% drop, from 7,467 in 2024 to 4,104 this year, cases of unauthorised extension of load have skyrocketed.
The data shows these violations have more than doubled, jumping by an eye-popping 94%, from 11,060 in 2024 to 21,496 in 2025. This suggests a troubling trend: many residents are now overloading their sanctioned connections, choosing this hidden method over illegal taps to evade detection. This shift has led to a staggering 38% increase in total power violations in the Central Zone, with the count rising from 18,527 in 2023 to 25,600 in 2024.
A senior PSPCL official explained the severity of the situation, by stating, “This form of violation is more covert. Instead of illegal tapping, consumers now use more appliances and equipment than they are approved for, but do it through sanctioned meters. For instance, if a household is permitted to use 1 kW, they might draw up to 5 kW without informing the power utility.
That’s a direct strain on the infrastructure.” The officer further explained that the entire distribution system including transformers, conductors, and substations, is designed based on the sanctioned load of a given area. “If the sanctioned load of a colony is 100 kW, we install equipment accordingly.
But when actual usage exceeds 200 or 300 kW, transformers get overloaded, leading to frequent tripping, equipment burnouts, and voltage fluctuations. This affects not just the violator but the entire neighborhood.” The consequences are visible in rising infrastructure maintenance costs, consumer complaints, and more frequent outages, especially during summer months when demand is already peaking.
Urban pockets under watch Notably, urban areas have emerged as hubs for such violations. PSPCL data shows that the West Circle leads with 6,909 cases, followed by Khanna Circle (5,708), Suburban Circle (4,592), and East Circle (4,287). In the month of March 2024 alone, West Circle reported 607 such cases, while East Circle logged 246, Suburban 136, and Khanna 42.
Meanwhile, in terms of traditional power theft, East Circle topped the chart with 2,233 cases over the past year, followed by West (1,409), Suburban (244), and Khanna (218) In response, PSPCL has intensified its enforcement and inspection drives. Fines worth ₹ 31.36 crore have been imposed on violators so far, out of which ₹ 19.
92 crore, a substantial 64% was specifically for unauthorised extension of load, officials said. According to officials, many of these violations were detected during random inspections, raids, and through consumer tip-offs. “We’re also increasing the use of smart meters and analytics to flag unusual consumption patterns,” an official said.
Commenting on the issue, Jagdev Hans, chief engineer, PSPCL Central Zone, said the utility is taking a strict view of these violations. “We are ramping up inspections and imposing heavy penalties. But we also want to caution consumers, such misuse is not only illegal, it’s unsustainable.
Once caught, they face social stigma, penalties, disconnections, and even legal action under Section 135 of the Electricity Act, 2003.”.
