Power Department Conducts Raid at SP MP Barq's House, Meters Removed in Police Presence

The Power Department carried out a raid on Tuesday at the residence of SP MP Ziaur Rahman Barq in continuation of ongoing operations against electricity theft in the district. Along with police and RAF personnel, the officials removed three electricity meters and replaced them with smart meters for transparency.

Details of the Action

The raid was part of a statewide campaign against electricity theft and included inspections of the house and its surroundings, including nearby areas. The authorities did not find anything during the search but replaced old meters with new smart meters, which help detect electricity theft more easily.

Another notice was also issued in the name of the illegal construction of the newly constructed portion of Barq's house. Security forces had been deployed during the whole operation as a precautionary measure.

State-Wide Crack Down

Earlier, a massive anti-power theft campaign was conducted under DM-SP leadership and 49 cases of electricity theft were unearthed along with imposition of fines amounting to ₹1.30 crore. Old cables have been removed from Deepasarai area and more than 100 smart meters have been installed in households to check illegal connections.

Barq Facing Legal Troubles

Ziaur Rahman Barq, who has been named in recent violence during the Jama Masjid survey on November 24, is accused of provoking the crowd. After the incident, the administration has increased its vigilance against the MP.

Tackling Electricity Losses

Officials said that areas prone to electricity theft are often under higher line losses, for which the department pays crores every month. The power department is now conducting pre-dawn raids to detect illegal connections, and 200 such unauthorized connections have been identified so far.