M. Y Eqbal, ACJ.-

This Public Interest Litigation has a chequered history.

2. In the year 2001, the petitioner, who is a practicing Advocate of this Court, took the cause of general people who were suffering for the last so many years because of load shedding, non-supply and interrupted supply of electricity in Ranchi town as also in the entire State of Jharkhand. There had been theft of electricity, pilferage in course of transmission and unauthorized tapping of electric power. Since 2001, this Court time to time issued directions on the basis of affidavits filed by the authorities of the Electricity Board. The orders passed by this Court since 2001 can be summarized as under:-

10.5.2001 :-By this order, the Chairman, of the Jharkhand State Electricity Board (in short 'the Board') was directed to personally ensure that he shall hold the Junior Engineer in-charge of his jurisdiction for ensuring that there is 0% unauthorized tapping of electric power from any source and by any means and in the event of the failure, the Junior Engineers shall be held responsible.

2.4.2001 :- The Chairman of the Electricity Board was directed to file affidavit informing the Court as to whether i