Crackdown on power theft under way

LAHORE: Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) Chief Executive Shahid Haider pledged here Saturday to ensure elimination of electricity theft once and for all.

Vowing to continue operation against electricity thieves, the power utility chief said 248 connections were found to be involved in electricity theft in all the circles during the third day of operation.

Applications for FIRs [first information reports] against the electricity thieves had been filed at the respective police stations, out of which 141 cases had been registered, he said, adding that a Lesco official, who was involved in electricity theft, had also been arrested from Okara.

According to Lesco, after disconnecting all the 248 connections, a total of 861,061 units had been charged in the form of detection bill amounting to Rs33.765 million. A Lesco spokesman explained that an ice cream factory in Muridke area on Lahore-Gujranwala Road had been charged for 87,000 detection units of Rs4.5 million, a steel re-rolling mill in Shalamar Town of provincial capital charged 210,028 detection units worth Rs10 million, and another industry on Bund Road charged for 50,000 units of Rs2.150 million, while an amount of Rs21.582 million had been charged to Sikka Oil Refinery in Ravi Road for 490,508 detection units.

He said a total of 790 connections were found stealing electricity during the three days of operation in the Lesco region. Applications for FIR against 788 electricity thieves were submitted to the respective police stations, out of which 470 FIRs were registered, he said, asserting that after disconnecting all such connections, they were charged for 2,457,605 units of detection bill having total amount of Rs103,806,788. Lesco has so far unearthed five industrial, 21 agricultural, 24 commercial and 740 domestic connections stealing electricity. The Lesco chief said a massive operation against electricity thieves was being conducted as per the directives of the Federal Power Division and power utility wanted to bring a change in working culture by introducing reforms for increasing efficiency.

Lesco also initiated action against its eight officers for facilitating electricity theft. Lesco Director Customer Services took action against five XENs, two SDOs, one line-superintendent for involvement in electricity theft and wrong connection. He said there is zero tolerance policy on facilitating electricity theft.

The penalised officers include SDO Qila Sattar, Shah Mehmood Alam, who was dismissed from his job for abetting electricity theft. XEN Sheikhupura, Rashid Soomro’s promotion was stopped for two years, XEN Mananwala, Mohammad Rizwan’s annual increment was withdrawn for one year for facilitating power theft. XEN Mohsin Ali was demoted as an SDO for giving a new connection to a dead defaulter. XEN Kot Abdul Malik Muzammal Hussain’s promotion was stopped for two years for giving a new connection to a dead defaulter. Similar action was taken against SDO Kot Abdul Malik, Ali Abbas. Line Superintendent Grade 1 Mirza Aqeel Baig was demoted as Line Superintendent Grade 2.

Separately, former provincial minister and candidate for MNA Mehar Saeed Ahmed Zafar Padhyar was found involved in electricity theft. According to a Lesco spokesman here on Saturday, Padhyar was caught stealing electricity in Nankana area. The company cut off power supply to Mehar Saeed Padhyar and charged him 8,620 detection units worth Rs250,000, he added. The spokesman said that an application for an FIR had also been submitted with the relevant police station.