New Delhi, March 27 The government has proposed to scrap jail terms for non-compliance with orders or directions issued under the Electricity Act, but has increased the penalty to a maximum of Rs 10 lakh under the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026, which was tabled in the Lok Sabha on Friday.
The bill also proposed to omit the clause related to the penalty for extinguishing public lamps, in addition to streamlining the penal provisions under the Electricity Act.
Section 141 of the Electricity Act provides, "Whoever, maliciously extinguishes any public lamp shall be punishable with a fine which may be extended to two thousand rupees".
Section 146 deals with 'Punishment for non-compliance of orders or directions'.
The bill proposes that in section 146, "imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months or with a fine which may extend to one lakh rupees, or with both", the words "a fine which shall not be less than ten thousand rupees but which may extend to ten lakh rupees" shall be substituted.
In the case of a continuing failure to comply with the directions or orders of the power regulators, it proposes that "it may extend to five thousand rupees", the words "which shall not be less than one thousand rupees but which may extend to fifty thousand rupees" shall be substituted.
Thus, the fine will range between Rs 1,000 and Rs 50,000 for continuing failure to comply with the order or directions.
The bill also proposed to streamline the penalty under Section 139, which deals with negligently wasting electricity or injuring workers.
The section is replaced by a new provision which says, "Whoever, negligently breaks, injures, throws down or damages any material connected with the supply of electricity, shall be liable to a penalty not less than five thousand rupees but which may extend to one lakh rupees, to be imposed by an officer duly authorised by the Appropriate Government".
For repeated such offence, it proves that "such person shall, for the second or subsequent offence, be punished with a fine not less than five thousand rupees, but which may extend to one lakh rupees".
Currently, the offence is punishable with a fine which may extend to Rs 10,000.
For the penalty for maliciously wasting electricity or injuring work under Section 140, the bill proposed that for the words "which may extend to ten thousand rupees", the words "which shall not be less than five thousand rupees but may extend to one lakh rupees" shall be substituted.
For non-compliance with the order or direction of the power regulators, the bill proposes to amend Section 142.
It proposes that the following marginal heading shall be substituted, namely -- "Penalty by Appropriate Commission for noncompliance of order or direction".
Currently, it is "Punishment for non-compliance with directions by Appropriate Commission".
The bill proposes that in Section 142, for the words "or any direction issued by the Commission", the words "or any order or direction issued under the Act" shall be substituted.
Similarly, it proposes that for the words "which shall not exceed one lakh rupees", the words "shall not be less than ten thousand rupees but may extend to five lakh rupees" shall be substituted.
The draft law also proposes compounding of offences like theft of electricity (Section 135), Interference with meters or works of licensee (Section 138) and maliciously wasting electricity or injuring works (Section 140).