The Curious Case Of Katiya In North India

No, I am not talking about Katiya community in India. If you happen to stay in North India, you must be very well aware of what ‘Katiya’ is. Katiya in North India is a serious issue (well, little hilarious also!), which is directly affecting the common man and the Government of North India alike. If you are still not getting what Katiya in North India is and curious to know, then read the curious case of Katiya in North Indian states!

What is Katiya

This is a very common phenomenon found in North Indian cities such as Allahabad and Kanpur. Katiya is nothing but a bent wire that is used to steal electricity from the main power supply on the street. The result? Your home is lit with full power and you don’t have to pay a single penny for the same. Though it’s a serious crime of electricity stealing and defaulting the bill payments, it’s a very common thing in North India. You will find Katiyas in every nook and corner hanging from the main power line and entering into someone’s house, supplying electricity for free!

Is it easy to put Katiya?

Well, yes if you are a ‘Katiyabaaz’. This term originated from the activity of ‘installing’ Katiya. The person who has the skills of putting Katiya on the main power supply and connecting it your house’s electricity connection, he is respectfully called as the ‘Katiyabaaz’. Most of the times, a government employee working for the city’s electricity board, holds these fabulous skills. His job is to give your house a direct supply of electricity, bypassing the electricity meter. Poor meter keeps waiting for some current to pass through it. But, unfortunately, it remains standstill for months, sometimes for years, without changing the reading even by a number. This is the magic of Katiya in North India.

What effect does the Katiya in North India have on common people?

People are happy! North India experiences extreme weather conditions round the year. Summers are extremely hot; while winters are extremely cold. In between these two seasons, monsoons are damp and humid, quite like the seashores. To tackle these bad weather conditions, a North Indian person has to run a cooler or AC in summers, and sometimes in monsoons also. On the other hand, the winters are biting cold and hence, there is no option but to run a heater in the house. All these gadgets are well known to have heavy diet of electricity. As a result, North Indians have to pay huge electricity bills. In this situation, Katiya comes to the rescue of North Indians. When the meter is only immobile, how it would generate any bill?

What effect does the Katiya in North India have on the Government?

Government is not happy at all! Katiya in North India has affected the revenue status of major North Indian cities. The people of Allahabad, Kanpur and several places in Uttar Pradesh think that using Katiya is their birth right. Whether they are rich or poor; it doesn’t matter. All use Katiya to light their houses. In fact, many people in these areas use hotplate for cooking food, as cooking gas isn’t free. Thanks to Katiya, electricity comes free! This is a sad story of most of the North Indian cities and towns. This has affected so much that in 2011, government had to bear 24% of losses on the revenue of power generation. Sadly, this number is growing each year. As a result, the rates for electricity per unit are made sky high in North India as compared to other parts of the country.

If only these users of Katiya in North India would pay for the right electricity usage, the government would have more money to spend on power generation.

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