Theft cases may derail electrification programme:Rahguvansh

Patna, Sep 8 (UNI) Union Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh today expressed displeasure over the continued rise in theft of electric wire, used in rural electrification programme, and asked Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to ensure prevention of pilferage.

In his letter to the chief minister, Dr Singh pointed out that about 70 cases of theft of electric wire had been reported from Muzaffarpur and Vaishali districts alone. Officials of Power Grid Corporation of India had informed the state police but no stringent action had been taken to prevent the menace and police stations were even hesitant to register FIRs, he regretted.

Mr Singh said if immediate action was not taken it would defeat the purpose of the programme.

He suggested constitution of a special task group for checking the spurt in theft cases which smacked of conspiracy by vested interests to derail the rural electrification programme.

UNI XC-RS PL DB1641