- (1.) HEARD , Mr. Mittal, learned Counsel for the petitioner, Mr.P. Singh, learned senior counsel appearing for the J.S.E.B., and the learned Advocate General for the State.
(2.) THE Board has filed an Interlocutory Application (LA. No. 1525/2008), requesting for issuance of direction to the Government for constitution of Special Courts as required under the provisions of Section 153 of the Electricity Act. 2003, for various Electrical Supply Areas, like Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Dhanbad, Hazaribagh and Medani Nagar. The Board has also filed supplementary affidavit, requesting for issuance of the same direction. According to the Board through affidavit and supplementary affidavit, supply of electricity to the consumer in Ranchi as well as to other parts of the State is badly affected due to rampant theft of electricity; theft of electricity causes huge losses to the Board; Part XV of the Act, 2003 provides for constitution of Special Courts for speedy trial of the offences under the Act, 2003; there are several cases pertaining to the theft of electricity pending for trial and no Special Court has been constituted so far as under Part XV of the Act, 2003; and though the Board has sent several letters, requesting the State Government for constitution of Special Courts as required under Section 153 of the Act for various Electrical Supply Areas, no Special Court has still been constituted by the Government, on account of which supply of electricity is badly affected, causing inconvenience to the consumers and huge losses to the Board.
(3.) IN the supplementary affidavit, it has been further stated about the details of the various letters sent by the Officials of the Board, requesting the State Government for constitution of the Special Courts to deal with the cases of theft of electricity so that losses of electricity and of revenue to the Board are prevented.;