Why power sector corruption persists despite ACB action
HYDERABAD: Corruption among some electricity department employees continues despite repeated action by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). Officials say arrests have done little to deter some employees, who allegedly continue to demand bribes from consumers for routine services.
The latest ACB searches at the residence of a Deputy Engineer of the Southern Power Distribution Company of Telangana (TGSPDCL) have once again drawn attention to corruption in the department. Apart from some engineers and employees, outsourced staff are also alleged to be involved in illegal practices.
Recently, an outsourced employee in the Northern Power Distribution Company allegedly accessed official login credentials and fraudulently approved payments worth ₹5 lakh. In June, electricity engineer Ramakrishna Reddy of the Hyderabad IDA Bollaram area was caught by the ACB while allegedly accepting a ₹25,000 bribe. He allegedly demanded the money from a motorist in return for not registering a case after a vehicle hit an electricity pole.
Contractors and officials allegedly work in tandem
Employees are also accused of collecting bribes from contractors and private companies executing works for the power utilities. This has allegedly allowed contractors to function without adequate oversight at the field level.
A recent incident in Kudanelli feeder under Peddemul mandal in Vikarabad district has raised serious questions. Power supply was stopped after fire was noticed on an electricity pole. A contractor reportedly sent a private worker up the pole to carry out repairs. While the work was in progress, electricity supply was allegedly restored from the substation, causing the worker to suffer an electric shock and sustain life-threatening injuries. The incident triggered protests by local residents.
The episode has raised questions over why a private worker was allowed to carry out repairs on the pole and what the concerned linemen and engineers were doing at the time.
Consumers allege bribe demands for new electricity connections
Consumers applying for new high-load electricity connections also allege corruption. For example, if a newly constructed apartment with 50 flats applies for five-kilowatt connections for each flat, officials allegedly claim that the nearby transformer lacks sufficient capacity and insist that supply must be drawn from a distant transformer.
They are accused of inflating the estimated cost of laying lines from the distant location and demanding bribes to reduce those costs.
To simplify the process, the utility introduced a uniform line charge system under the LT category, replacing the earlier method of preparing individual work estimates. Under the new system, consumers pay an additional ₹1,000 per kilowatt according to the applicable category, after which the distribution company is expected to provide the connection. Although the process to introduce a similar system for the HT category began in the third week of February, it has not progressed further.
Complaints mechanism under scrutiny
The Southern Discom had earlier established a dedicated call centre to receive complaints about employees who delayed work or demanded bribes. However, consumers allege that when they call the helpline, they are not allowed to register corruption complaints over the phone and are instead asked to submit evidence by email.
