Bhubaneswar: A fine of Rs 457.49 crore was collected for unauthorised electricity usage across the state in the last five years, Deputy Chief Minister K V Singh Deo, who also holds the Energy portfolio, told the Odisha Assembly.
Responding to a question by BJP MLA Upasna Mohapatra, he said that 8.70 lakh consumers were penalised by power distribution companies during this period.
A total of 8,70,458 cases of electricity theft and unauthorised usage were reported during the five-year period. Ganjam district reported the highest fine collection, amounting to Rs 40.77 crore, followed by Cuttack (Rs 37.7 crore), Balasore (Rs 34.49 crore), Khurda (Rs 33.72 crore), Puri (Rs 26.11 crore), and Jajpur (Rs 27.84 crore).
