Bhubaneswar: Odisha police have imposed a blanket ban on the use of electricity from its office buildings across the state for charging personal electric vehicles (EVs), citing misuse of govt resources and mounting power consumption.A directive issued by the state police headquarters on Aug 1 warned that unauthorised connections from office premises to residential quarters and barracks would be snapped immediately, with disciplinary proceedings initiated against violators.The order, issued by additional director general of police (law & order) Sanjay Kumar, flagged repeated instances of personnel drawing electricity illegally from office premises to charge personal EVs.“Such unauthorised connections are not only illegal but also a clear violation of rules and regulations. As a disciplined force, the police department is expected to uphold strict compliance with all legal and administrative provisions,” the circular read.Officials said the practice of charging EVs on office premises led to a sharp rise in electricity consumption, creating an avoidable financial burden on the govt. Officials clarified that only govt or police vehicles are permitted to use office electricity for charging.“We received the bulk of complaints from police barracks in several districts. Unauthorised charging of EVs is adding to the electricity load of the barracks, often triggering sudden blackouts. This has caused repeated inconvenience to office staff, barrack personnel and residents in quarters, with disruption lasting hours,” a senior police officer said.The directive also highlighted instances of police barracks using electric heaters for cooking, which officials said not only spiked consumption but posed serious fire hazards.All heads of police districts, ranges, establishments and battalions have been instructed to carry out thorough inspections of their premises to ensure compliance. They have been asked to issue clear instructions to personnel to discontinue such practices immediately.“Any unauthorised electricity connection or misuse of office power shall be disconnected forthwith, and responsibility will be fixed on the concerned individuals,” the order warned, adding that future violations would attract disciplinary action under relevant rules.
