Media Outlets Make False Claims About Electricity Theft By Madrasas And Mosques In Rampur, UP

The Uttar Pradesh government commenced its madrasa survey exercise on 26th September 2022. The exercise would involve a committee visiting the Islamic religious schools and obtaining information on the organization that runs the madrasa, its source of funding, state of facilities, and a number of teachers, among other aspects, as per the Hindustan Times report.

Within this context, media outlets such as Hindustan and Navbharat Times alleged that around 400 mosques and madrasas were found using electricity without electricity connections, in Rampur,

Claim:

Live Hindustan published a report on September 25, 2022. The report states that more than 400 mosques and madrasas in Rampur City, UP are operating electric meters. Most of the mosques and madrassas here do not have electricity connections. The report states that the electricity department has issued notices to the people responsible for all such mosques and madrasas.

The Live Hindustan report claims that the electricity department has appealed to those in charge of mosques and madrasas to install the connections and avoid any problems.

NavBharat Times, in its report published on September 26, 2022, alleged that about 400 mosques and madrasas had been identified as having no electricity connection. The report alleges that Islamic institutions are indulging in electricity theft.

The Electricity Department had asked mosques and madrasas to install the electricity connection, as per the NavBharat Times report.

Fact Check:

The Logical Indian fact-check team verified the viral claim and found it to be false. We found that both temples and mosques are participating in electricity theft.

We conducted a keyword search with the keywords 'Uttar Pradesh power connection mosques'. We then came across a report by The Times of India published on September 26, 2022.

The TOI report talks about the financial losses faced by the discom due to electricity theft and how it sent an advisory to 170 religious places in Rampur city to get an electricity connection. The report advised the religious places to get a power connection in seven days, or the electric supply would be cut. The report noted that 59 temples and 115 mosques in Rampur had been identified for electricity theft.

The Logical Indian Fact Check Team reached out to the Executive Engineer of the electricity department in Rampur, Bhishma Kumar said, "No notice has been issued, we have only requested people through a message. No mosques have been targeted. We have put out a message for all the religious places. In Rampur, many Masjids and madrasas exist, so people think that only masjids are being targeted. In the city, more than 50% of the electricity is being stolen and in some areas, there is 70 to 80% line loss. These are the areas which have more line loss and therefore we have requested them to take up the electricity connection in order to reduce line loss. If they do not take the electricity connection, then whether it's a temple or Mosque, whosoever is found using electricity illegally, an action shall be taken against them. No religious places have been separately targeted. It is against those whosoever is found using electricity without legal connection. It's only a request, if in future they do not adhere to it, then we will serve them a notice."

The Executive Engineer shared a list of the religious places in Rampur which are involved in electricity theft with us. The list, shared by Kumar identifies 59 temples and 115 mosques in the Kotwali police station area.

He also sent us the WhatsApp message that was sent requesting religious places to obtain a legal electrical connection. The message reads as follows, "All Maulvi, Mutaballi and Imam of Masjid, Nazim of Madrasas, please take this message seriously, please install electricity connection and avoid theft 🙏" -Thanks, Farhat Ali Khan President Electricity Coordination Committee District, Rampur"

Conclusion:

We found that both temples and mosques are involved in electricity theft. As per the Times of India report and a statement given by an engineer with the electricity department in Rampur, 59 temples and 115 mosques in Rampur have been identified for electricity theft. These religious places have been asked to obtain an electricity connection, or their supply would be cut. Thus, we can ascertain that the media outlets' claim is false.

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