PLN cuts illegal connections
PLN cuts illegal connections
Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
In a bid to reduce "leakage" of electricity, state electricity
firm PLN has cut hundreds of illegal connections in Depok, West
Java on Thursday.
Some 40 PLN employees and dozens of police officers combed 512
areas where illegal connections were rampant, including the
Atsiri Permai housing complex in Bojong Gede and areas along Jl.
Kaca Piring in Depok and along Jl. Parung in Bogor.
Most of the illegal connections were for street lighting.
"No one was arrested as we have no idea who made these illegal
connections. We'll let the police investigate it. That's why we
handed over confiscated bulbs and cables to them," PLN area
manager for Depok Hadi Suhana told The Jakarta Post on Friday.
Hadi said over 3,300 places in Depok had been identified as
using illegal electricity, with the state company losing around
Rp 100 million (US$10,000) per month.
He said they would continue to conduct similar operations
until there were no more illegal connections in those areas.
PLN spokesman Aryo Subijoko said that the operations in Depok
were part of efforts to reduce losses of electricity that has
occurred over the last several years due to theft and illegal
lights.
He said the company had identified thousands of locations in
Greater Jakarta that used illegal electricity connections to
light up the roads in their neighborhood.
"We cooperate with police as we have no authority to arrest
violators. We will hand over all equipment we have confiscated to
police," he said.
He said that PLN has lost billions of rupiah to illegal
connections in Greater Jakarta alone.
Due to inadequate power supply, PLN has many times conducted
rotating blackouts in Java and Bali.
According to data from their Depok office, PLN has lost Rp 100
million every month from illegal road lights in Depok alone.
Many experts, however, say that power theft from illegal
connections to households and factories was far higher than that
for illegal road lights.