UP mulls 'joint police action' to curb power theft

Lucknow, Sept 5 (UNI) The Uttar Pradesh police have decided to organise joint teams to tackle increasing cases of electricity theft in the power-starved state.

State director general of police (DGP) Vikram Singh has today written to all district police chiefs reminding them that checking power theft was a priority of the state government. ''Power theft interrupts government's efforts to provide proper power supply to consumers...the situation results in law and order problem,'' he said in a circular issued today.

The DGP suggested that district police authorities establish a working relationship with officials of the power department to launch a joint drive to check power pilferage. ''The arrests should be on a 100 per cent basis and the cases against offenders should be disposed off within 15 days...if power department officials inform of any cases of power theft, then the police station concerned should immediately lodge an FIR,'' he added.

UNI