BSES on Friday made a strong case for the continuance of the security cover provided by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) at its installations, saying the Centre’s decision to withdraw the same will severely hamper the company’s crusade against power thefts in the city.

Terming it as a big setback to the success of the public private partnership (PPP) model in the city’s power sector, the company said it would appeal against the decision as “it violates a 2004 Supreme Court order” that had directed the state and union governments to provide necessary protection to discom officials conducting anti-power theft drives.

“We were earlier told the CISF cover was being withdrawn on a temporary basis till the elections got over. This decision may undo all the good work done by BSES on the power theft front in the last three years,” a BSES official said.

“We plan to appeal against the order to the concerned authorities. Under the agreement, the services of the CISF had been provided to the discoms for five years,” the official added.

The Union Home Ministry decided to withdraw the security cover following complaints from the force that its personnel were being asked to accompany theft checking squads for protection. CISF was providing 356 of its personnel to guard BSES and NDPL installations since 2006.

With the help of CISF, the discoms were able to bring down aggregate technical and commercial losses from 63 per cent in 2002 to 20 per cent.

The CISF has insisted that the paramilitary force is not mandated to check law and order problems. The force had temporarily withdrawn its personnel from the discoms before the Lok Sabha polls, leading to the Delhi government stepping in and writing a letter to the Home Ministry asking for immediate redeployment of the security cover.