Anisul Islam Noor :About 200MW electricity is being pilferred daily due to illegal connections, electricity distribution entity officials said. The number of illegal electricity connections has gradually increased across the country, resulting in the loss of revenues worth crores of taka every year.Five distribution companies disconnected a total of 1,504 illegal connections in different areas of the country in April 2014.The five companies are Power Development Board, Rural Electrification Board (REB), Dhaka Power Distribution Company Limited (DPDC), Dhaka Electric Supply Company Limited (DESCO) and West Zone Power Distribution Company Limited (WZPDCL).Of those illegal connections, 8,900 connections were under PDB, 16,867 under REB, 1,640 under DPDC, 2,895 under DESCO and 613 under WZPDCL.They also said such illegal demand for power was unidentified, which created serious problems during load management and financial loss for the agencies.Some corrupt linesmen are making money by giving illegal power connection.In many areas, illegal connections have been given directly from the main lines and in some other areas from nearby shops.Distribution agencies do not get the price of the electricity consumed through illegal connection although they spend much more than the tariff set by the agencies, officials said.Syndicates, backed by distribution entities’ officers, in connivance with linesmenof power distribution agencies, are also providing illegal power connection to makeshift shops on both sides of roads and lanes in the city.Though the matter is an open secret, the distribution companies do not take any action. They talk of only disconnection, and continue to cut or disconnect illegal connections only.Makeshift shops in Dhaka, other cities and big towns keep using electricity through illegal connections for many hours, power distribution agency officials said.On the other hand, about 14 lakh applications for legal connections are lying pending with different distribution companies. Of them, 10 lakh 50 thousand and 941 with REB, two lakh 64 thousands 947 with DESCO, 46 thousands 209 with PDB and 24 thousands 786 with WZPDCL.It is not possible to check the pilferage all the time everywhere, but we are trying to control it, said Nasrul Hamid, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resource.He said that the distribution companies are conducting drives against illegal connections to curb pilferage and the government has a target of giving electricity connection against the applications.
