Lesco detects wide-scale power theft in City

LAHORE:Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) has detected wide-scale electricity theft in different localities of provincial capital during its ongoing grand anti-theft campaign on Friday. According to the company’s spokesman here, an inspection team led by Wapda Town Sub-Division SDO M Ali Riaz Awan conducted an operation against electricity thieves in PIA Society and found that owner of a pizza shop called "Pizza Test" was stealing electricity from the direct supply of Lesco through illegal hooking, and using the stolen electricity to operation two 5,000 watt each pizza ovens and two ACs.

The Lesco team seized the three-phase meter installed at the spot and got registered a case against the accused with local police. Another inspection team detected electricity pilferage in a multi-storey building located on Durand Road area of Davis Road Sub-Division, and no power meters were installed there, while accused were stealing electricity by illegal hooking on light transmission line. Five ACs were being operated on stolen electricity. He said that 9,500 units as detection bill has been charged to the accused besides registration of a police case in this regard.

The spokesman mentioned that Journalist Colony Sub-Division SDO Tanveer Kashif also caught electricity theft in Al-Rushd Plaza in Rehman Housing Society. The electricity was being pilfered by illegal hooking on Lesco’s direct supply line, while two bogus meters were installed there. Both the meters of Al-Rushd Plaza were disconnected and the owners were charged with 8,000 units in the form of detection bill. Cases in this regard have also been filed in the area police station.

It is to mentioned that Lesco record also confirmed that the owners were listed in the dead defaulters, and were defaulting Rs133,752 and Rs160,632 for each connection.

Meanwhile, Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) in collaboration with Tehsildars (Recovery) has recovered Rs13.2 million from 501 dead defaulters in all the five districts- Lahore, Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib, Kasur and Okara- on the 44th day of its recovery campaign. Lesco spokesman told media here Friday that on the 44th day, Chief Engineer O&M (T&G) Zafar Iqbal with the support of Tehsildar City Mujahid Zia and Tehsildar Shalimar Noreez Humayun recovered outstanding dues of Rs2.41 million from 68 defaulters in Northern Circle and Rs2.13 million from 74 defaulters in Eastern Circle respectively. Similarly, Lesco Manager (Material Disposal) Engineer Anwar Watto along with Tehsildar Model Town Rana Arsal and Tehsildar Cant. Sajjad Qureshi recovered Rs2.08 million from 45 defaulters in Central Circle and Rs440,000 from 13 defaulters in South Circle, while Manager (Technical) Engineer M Farooq with the assistance of Tehsildar Nankana Sahib M Iqbal Rasheed and Tehsildar Sheikhupura M Aslam Gujjar recovered Rs980,000 from 64 defaulters in Nankana Circle and Rs2.77 million from 110 defaulters in Sheikhupura Circle. He added that Lesco Manager E&S (PMU) Engineer AbbasAli in collaboration with Naib Tehsildar Kasur and Okara Mirza Zahid Baig recovered outstanding dues of Rs470,000 from 42 defaulters in Okara Circle and Rs1.93 million from 85 defaulters in Kasur Circle. Up till now during the recovery campaign, the Lesco with the help of Tehsildars (Recovery) recovered more than Rs1.53 billion from 32,837 dead defaulters in its all circles of operation.

He elaborated that Lesco recovered outstanding dues of Rs136 million from 4,388 defaulters in Northern Circle; Rs240.15 million from 3,829 defaulters in Eastern Circle; Rs153.54 million from 4,177 defaulters in Central Circle; Rs60.16 million from 1,798 defaulters in South Circle, Rs65.31 million from 2,881 defaulters in Nankana Circle; Rs151.62 million from 3,575 defaulters in Sheikhupura Circle; Rs70.46 million from 5,004 defaulters in Okara Circle and Rs176.04 million from 7,185 defaulters in Kasur Circle.

For the recovery campaign started on September 13, the Lahore Division’s Commissioner had assigned additional charge of Tehsildar Recovery (from Lesco defaulters) to relevant Tehsidars, while Lesco Chief Executive Officer Engineer Shahid Haidar has also designated four senior officers to assist them in the dues recovery from defaulters. Lesco CEO Engineer Shahid Haider said that the company is facing loss due to dead defaulters, and vowed to continue action against them.