Incident Description: Electricity theft has become a serious problem in Gujarat, which has undermined the trust relationship between electricity distribution companies and consumers. Four companies operating under the Gujarat State Electricity Corporation Limited (GUVNL)—DGVCL, MGVCL, UGVCL, and PGVCL—supply electricity in the state. These companies have conducted large-scale raids against electricity theft in the last two years (2023-24 and 2024-25), in which 38,59,801 electricity connections were checked. During this period, 2,82,164 consumers were caught stealing electricity, out of which 1,52,602 did not pay the stolen electricity bills worth Rs 1029 crore, resulting in cases being registered against them. 16 special police stations of GUVNL have been set up for this purpose to take swift and effective action against electricity theft. Under Section 135 of the Indian Electricity Act, 2003, electricity theft is a non-bailable offence, punishable with imprisonment for a term of up to three years or fine or both. But despite this stringent law, the fearlessness of the thieves is astonishing. According to sources, electricity theft in the Saurashtra region The highest number of theft incidents were reported, where thieves not only stole electricity but also attacked the raiding teams. A tale of raids and attacks: During raids against electricity theft, the fearlessness of thieves was evident when they attacked the police and the electricity company staff. In the last two years, 61 such incidents were reported, in which stone-pelting and physical attacks were done on the raiding teams. Separate FIRs were registered against these incidents in the police stations of the respective cities. An X-Post said: “Electricity theft has become an epidemic in Saurashtra. Thieves not only steal electricity but also do not hesitate to attack law enforcers. It is a serious social and legal challenge.” In particular, the highest number of incidents of electricity theft were reported in districts under Saurashtra such as Bhavnagar, Jamnagar, and Rajkot Rural. For example, in 2023-24, PGVCL checked 3,85,062 connections from April to December 2023, out of which theft worth Rs 205.21 crore was detected in 64,751 connections. The highest theft was in Bhavnagar district (Rs 15 crore). Rs) and the lowest was reported in Botad. Annual statistics: Financial year 2023-24: 19,67,024 connections were checked, out of which 1,50,920 were caught stealing electricity. Financial year 2024-25: 18,92,777 connections were checked, out of which 1,31,244 consumers were caught stealing electricity. These 2,82,164 consumers were directed to pay the bills along with penalty, but 1,52,602 consumers did not pay an amount of Rs 1029 crore, as a result of which legal action was taken against them. Intensity of theft in Saurashtra: Saurashtra, which covers about 51% of the area of ​​Gujarat, has become a hotbed of electricity theft. PGVCL, which is responsible for power distribution in the area, detected theft worth Rs 218 crore in the financial year 2022-23, which was 33% more than the previous year. Similarly, theft worth Rs 128 crore was detected in the first six months of 2023, while in the nine months of 2023-24, this amount reached Rs 205.21 crore. A senior official said: “There has been an increase in incidents of power theft in industrial connections, where theft worth Rs 10 to 15 lakh per connection was detected. This is a big challenge for us, as it increases the tariff burden on honest consumers.” Legal and Social Implications: Power theft not only causes financial losses but also weakens the power distribution system. Honest consumers have to pay the price in the form of additional tariffs. The Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission (GERC) has directed companies to reduce technical and distribution losses by less than 12%, but the fearlessness of thieves is making this goal difficult. A local leader commented on X: “Power theft is a blot on Gujarat’s development agenda. The fearlessness of thieves in Saurashtra is astonishing. Despite strict laws, we need social awareness and strict vigilance.” Attacks on raid teams: Attacks on staff during raid operations have further exacerbated the problem. In a recent operation in Godhra, 55 illegal connections worth Rs 26 lakh were seized. Similarly, incidents of stone-pelting and violence on staff were reported during raids in several sensitive areas of Saurashtra. Separate cases have been registered against these attacks, but these incidents show the fearlessness of the thieves. Source: Gujarat Samachar: Indian Express: ETV India: Times of India: Hindustan Times: