Dhenkanal, a district headquarters town in Orissa, seems to be a trouble spot for the power distribution business in the state. People of this town frustrate attempts of distribution companies to streamline their retail business.
The latest to face the music is the Central Electricity Supply Utility (CESU). The distribution company has alleged that the people of Dhenkanal have come in the way of its attempts to stop power theft.
CESU has introduced a model of pillar boxes for group metering. But consumers in the area are consistently damaging them, the company said. The utility is suffering 41.5% T&D losses because of the pilferage.
It was also in Dhenkanal where AES Corp, in charge of CESCO (later changed to CESU), faced its worst humiliation. Locals, led by an MLA, attacked the offices of CESCO, which was trying to stop illegal power consumption.