 POWER PACKED: The long line of temporary stalls at Crawford Market are lit up throughout the day, mostly on stolen power.
Mohammad Dastagir Saeed (36) is a tired man. Nothing has changed in the three years since Saeeds tip helped BEST check power theft worth lakhs of rupees.
The roadside stalls at Crawford Market that used power stolen by local goon Yakub Shaikh from BEST meter boxes then, continue to do so with impunity.
Act I
Saeeds first complaint to the BEST electric department on September 8, 2004, and dozens of letters to various ministers led to an amendment in the 2003 Electricity Act in June 2005.
As per the Electricity Act earlier, BEST couldnt prosecute power thieves. Since the amendment, the police conduct raids with BESTs officers, and even register FIR of theft, explained Saeed.
 Mohammad Dastagir Saeed outside his residence2,500 stalls
In October 2004, BEST conducted raids at Crawford Market, and slapped fines on over 25 stalls totalling Rs 10 lakh.
The BEST is yet to claim the penalty, said Saeed. The kingpin of the power racket, Yakub Shaikh, was subsequently jailed but later released on bail. He continues to supply stolen BEST power to about 2,500 stalls in Crawford Market, said Saeed.
Due to such malpractices, our locality faces power cuts and short-circuits because of overload, he added. SA Puranik, deputy General Manager, BEST electric, said, Our legal department is handling the case. Such court cases take years for judgement.
One Yakub Shaikh distributes direct power supply to the hawkers, admitted N Somarajan, divisional engineer, BEST. Several stall owners also admitted to this reporter that Yakub continues to supply them chori ki bijli.
Saeed revealed how the math works. Yakub charges Rs 300 for supplying power for one bulb. Each stall has three to four bulbs.
The charges thus add up to Rs 1,000 a month, irrespective of how long they keep their bulbs switched on.
The stall owners have no incentive to save power. Imagine, how much power gets wasted, when these stalls run from 10 am to 10 pm,with all the bulbs on. Consumers like us pay for all such power that has been stolen and sold.
| 
