CM Yogi Crackdown: 3,000 Illegal Power Connections Cut in Noida

Prompted by a strict reprimand from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath regarding rampant administrative laxity, the district administration and electricity department launched a massive crackdown against power theft in the Chhijarsi submerged floodplains along the Harnandi River in Noida. Backed by heavy police deployment, authorities dismantled an illegal power syndicate that had been operating unchecked since 2017, sending a stern message to utility fraudsters across the region.

Dismantling a Massive Power Theft Syndicate Active Since 2017

Operating within the sensitive floodplains and submerged zones of Noida and Greater Noida, illegal electricity operators had established a massive parallel grid. During the coordinated operation, joint teams from the Electricity Corporation and local police seized ten active transformers supplying unauthorized power to the area and cleared out extensive wiring networks across Chotpur Colony.

Investigations revealed that a sophisticated electricity theft syndicate had been thriving in Chhijarsi since 2017. Due to administrative oversight and departmental negligence, unauthorized electricity was being channeled to over 20,000 households, generating a staggering illegal collection and revenue loss ranging between ₹1.5 to 1.8 crore every single month.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s Strict Intervention and Action

The massive racket was exposed when Manoj Kumar Singh, CEO of the State Transformation Commission, presented alarming figures before Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, highlighting power theft across 13,000 households in specific pockets. Subsequent reports revealed that illicit syndicates were extorting nearly ₹5.5 crore monthly from 60,000 households spread across more than 40 unauthorized colonies in villages including Chhijarsi, Bahlolpur, Garhi Chaukhandi, and Soharkha.

Taking swift cognizance of the massive leakage, CM Yogi reprimanded UP Power Corporation Chairman Ashish Goyal and demanded immediate accountability. Following the intervention, enforcement teams disconnected 3,000 illegal power lines on the spot, registered formal criminal cases against 19 primary accused at the Vigilance Police Station, and initiated legal complaints against individuals involved in extortion.