To nab illegal power consumers, the Meghalaya State Electricity Board (MeSEB) has started raiding areas where power thefts have been reported, an official of the vigilance wing of the board said.
"So far we have registered 40 cases of such thefts. They have been fined Rs 10,000 each for the violation,"he said.
Today, vigilance officials conducted raids in the Greater Shillong area, dismantling all illegal connections and seizing meter boxes.
A fine of Rs 35 lakh were imposed on commercial consumers who have not declared their actual power loads, officials said.
"We have been assessing the load required by the consumers. Some consumers, mostly in commercial places, were found to have not declared their actual load. This has put an extra burden on the genuine consumers,"the official pointed out.
Power demand in the state is 600 MW, while it produces 185.2 MW of hydel power, which is now hit by deficit rainfall.