PUNE: Street light poles empower many dazzling Ganapati pandals during the Ganeshotsav. In its absence in the vicinity, mandals look for ‘well-wishers’ to open their electricity meters for the Bappa.There are over 1,800 registered mandals in Pune (1,511) and Pimpri Chinchwad (3,00) this year. Of them, only 500 have official power connections — temporary or permanent. According to conservative estimate, Pune has over 3,000 unregistered mandals and Pimpri Chinchwad another 700.“Connections taken from street light poles and homes or shops do yield revenue for the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) because either the municipal corporations or owners of the houses/shops pay the bills for the extra consumption. So, these are not power thefts, but ‘unauthorized use of electricity’,” says an official of the MSEDCL.The distribution company offers temporary connection against some deposit money worked out based on the load a mandal would need. “We issue such connections immediately and meters are kept aside for the purpose. At the end of the festival, we calculate the bill against the units consumed and the amount is deducted from the deposit money. The remaining money is returned to the mandals,” the official explains.So, why mandals shy away from official connections? A worker of a small mandal says most of them lack funds to pay the deposit amount.“Our entire budget will be spent on getting the temporary power connection. There will be nothing left for the decoration, prasad, puja material and entertainment in the form of a loudspeaker and music. Taking a connection from a worker’s home is much easier. All we need is to insert wires in the meter. We pay for the extra bill amount the worker gets in the monthly bill,” he says.Another worker cites shortage of time to visit the electricity company’s office, give an application and pursue the matter as the reason.The official from the distribution company pointed out that this time the company had only one slab for temporary connections given for religious purpose as against different slabs for domestic consumers. “The mandals are being charged Rs4.38 per unit of electricity. It will not increase, no matter how many units mandals use during the festival. If mandals tap electricity from a residential connection, they will end up paying double or even triple the amount,” he says.He also reminds that tapping electricity can be dangerous. Surge in demand can damage or burn the meter of the residential consumer allowing unauthorized use of electricity.“The wiring may not be safe; the joint may not be properly insulated. These can cause fire. Proper earthing is also required,” he says, adding that people using electricity in such unauthorized manner forget to pay attention to these vital safety aspects.Another official of the distribution company says the municipal corporations should make it mandatory for the mandals to submit the receipt of temporary connection when they apply to register the mandals. “This will ensure that at least all the registered mandals take temporary connections,” he says.

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