Agartala, January 9, 2025: As Tripura State Electricity Corporation Limited (TSECL) advances towards building a modern grid with safe and sustainable energy, the persistence of illegal hook lines and meter tampering continues to undermine the system, posing both deadly risks and financial losses.
Officials warn that using hook lines direct connections to live wires without proper safety measures is not just theft but a gamble with life. Exposed wires, haphazard connections, and use in rain-soaked conditions create lethal traps. Past incidents have repeatedly shown that attempts to draw illegal connections often end in electrocution and death.
Beyond the human toll, electricity theft has become a major financial drain. TSECL reports heavy revenue losses each year due to hook lines and meter tampering. Increased system loss, grid pressure, and infrastructure damage ultimately force law-abiding consumers to shoulder the burden.
To combat the menace, TSECL’s vigilance wing has intensified statewide operations. Between April and December 2025, teams dismantled 6,547 hook lines and inspected 11,401 meters, uncovering irregularities in 1,357 cases.
Fines amounting to ₹2.92 crore were imposed, of which ₹2.50 crore has been recovered, while an additional ₹16 lakh was collected as arrears. The figures, officials say, highlight the alarming scale of theft.
Since the start of the new year, raids have become more aggressive. From January 1–8, 2026, vigilance teams cut 144 hook lines and detected theft in 12 meters out of 233 inspected. In just a week, fines worth ₹7.55 lakh were imposed, with ₹7.20 lakh already recovered.
On January 8, a special drive in Agartala’s South Ramnagar and Joypur areas led to the removal of 14 hook lines. Appliances linked to illegal connections including 8 refrigerators, 4 televisions, 2 motors, 3 fans, 1 rice cooker, and 2 mixer grinders were seized. Authorities collected ₹85,000 in fines during the operation.
TSECL has reiterated its message: using hook lines is playing with death. A small attempt to save on bills today could push families into tragedy tomorrow. The corporation urges all consumers to use electricity legally and calls on citizens to report theft wherever they see it.
Electricity theft, officials stress, is not only a violation of law but also a social and national loss. Preventing it requires collective responsibility and public awareness.
