Giving details, a spokesman said here today that while intensifying the ongoing campaign of disconnections of the non-paying consumers, as many as 53,099 disconnections had been made in Operation Circle Ambala, comprising Ambala and Panchkula districts; 51,388 in Yamunanagar; 44,320 in Kurukshetra, comprising Kurukshetra and Kaithal districts; 30,862 in Karnal; 28,500 in Panipat; 19,552 in Jind; 15,595 in Rohtak; 13,827 in Sonepat and 4,469 in Jhajjar Operation Circle.

He said the Nigam had to recover Rs 210.40 crore from these non-payers, of which Rs 97.84 crore had been recovered. Instructions had been issued to the field officers to ensure that the supply of the non-payers is not restored before 24 hours on depositing the payment, as per the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission order.

The field officers have already identified the non-payers and the disconnection campaign will continue till March 31.

The Nigam had imposed a penalty of Rs 12.94 crore on the consumers involved in theft of power, of which Rs 6.35 crore had been recovered. In most cases, the consumers had been drawing electricity illegally by direct tapping the lines, using magnets for stopping energy recording meters, tampering the meter seals and other unauthorised means.

The Nigam has also decided to lodge FIR reports in the cases pertaining to theft for the second time. In the event of first offence of pilferage of power, the notice of compounding to the erring consumer will be issued within 24 hours, instead of two working days.