Puducherry:
A complaint has been filed with police against a factory in Yanam for allegedly illegally drawing power over the last one year, Electricity Minister T Thiagarajan told the territorial assembly today.
The Electricity Department has found "theft of power by Kanagadurga Castings industry in Yanam", Thiagarajan said.
It was found that power worth Rs 28.54 crore had been illegally drawn and consumed by the factory over the last one year, Thiagarajan said, in a reply to AIADMK's A Anbalagan's query about the power theft.
Thiagarajan said the complaint had been filed against the proprietor and administrator of the factory. The proprietor was also served notice in this regard and that there was a commitment on the part of the management that it would settle Rs seven crore.
Anbalagan alleged there was a close nexus between the management of the factory and some political bigwigs in Yanam, and that there should be speedy inquiry and the guilty should be punished without fear or favour.
He claimed the theft of power went beyond the one year period and a large sum of money was due from the factory to the administration. He wanted a committee of legislators to be constituted to identify the factories indulging in such "unlawful activities."
Chief Minister N Rangasamy has said that government would launch necessary steps to prevent such offences and recover the amount from the factory.