Discoms to clamp down on industries in unauthorised areas

To curb the nuisance of illegal industrial activities in the capital, power distribution  companies will seek copies of industrial licenses from all such industries and on failure to do so, their industrial connections will be deemed illegal and electricity supply disconnected. 

 Discoms have disconnected electricity supply to five large industrial units in the last few days.   “Most of these industries have not furnished the papers. These illegal units are stealing power to avoid payments of various taxes and duties to the government. We have no option but to cut their power supply,” said an official of a discom supplying power in east Delhi’s GT Road area.  Earlier, based on an observation by the High Court, industries located in various non-conforming areas like GT Road, Mandoli and Vishwas Nagar were to ordered to relocate to industrial pockets such as Bawana.  However, investigations have revealed that a number of industries still continue to operate illegally in Mandoli and GT Road in east Delhi and other such pockets across Delhi. Investigations have also revealed that several industries in these areas have illegally shifted their electricity meters deep inside the factories, where they can be easily tampered with.  Easy access for servicing them is not available to discoms. If these meters are not installed outside their premises, the industrial unit concerned can face action.