Lesco detects 465 power theft cases in 24 hours

LAHORE:Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) has detected a total of 465 connections from where the customers were pilfering electricity in all its circles of five districts (Lahore, Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib, Kasur and Okara) on the 242nd day of grand anti-power theft campaign.

A Lesco spokesman told media here Thursday that the company has also submitted FIR applications against electricity thieves, out of which 160 FIRs have been registered in respective police stations, while 39 accused have been arrested by the respective police.

Grand anti-power theft operations against electricity thieves are being conducted on the directives of the Federal Power Division and the Lesco Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Engineer Shahid Haider is supervising these operations. The Lesco chief vowed that the operations would continue without discrimination until the complete end of electricity theft. The electricity pilferers as well as the Lesco officers and employees who facilitate them are also being brought to justice. On the 242nd consecutive day of the anti-power theft campaign, the spokesman added, large commercial consumers were also found involved in electricity theft and all of them were disconnected and charged with detection units. Among the seized connections 15 were commercial, 01 agricultural and 449 domestic, and all these connections were disconnected and charged with a total of 328,663 units as detection bill amounting to Rs 11.035 million.

Apprising the media about some major power pilferers, he explained that LESCO charged Rs 327,000 detection bill to an electricity pilferer in Misri Shah area; Rs 168,000 detection bill to a power pilferer in Shahdara Town; Rs 150,000 detection bill to an electricity thief on Aamir Road; and Rs 150,000 fine in the form of detection bill to another customer stealing electricity in Johar Town. During the 242 days of the grand anti-theft campaign, the spokesman mentioned, the Lesco detected pilferage on 83,609 power connections and 76,624 FIRs have been registered against electricity thieves in the relevant police stations, while 32,767 accused have so far been arrested by the police. The Lesco has so far charged a total of 97,857,684 detection units worth Rs 3,568,257,670 to all the power pilferers.