PESHAWAR/ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: A massive crackdown has been launched by the Caretaker Government to combat the alarming surge in power theft and to take stern actions against the culprits involved power pilferage along with officials of the distribution companies facilitating the electricity theft.
On the directives of the government, the Peshawar Electricity Supply Company (Pesco) has so far removed over 500 direct hooks during ongoing operations against electricity stealers in the province.
“More than 500 direct hooks have been removed so far while fines for more than 7 million have been charged against electricity theft,” the spokesman for Pesco told APP on Sunday.
As per the Govt directives, he said the anti electricity theft operations continued in the province on war footings basis and more than 250 requests to lodge FIR have been submitted.
Meanwhile, 10 superintendent engineers of Pesco were assigned the duties of focal persons with a direction to make contact with provincial task force and divisional commissioners to curb electricity theft and provide relief to all those consumers who pay electricity bills.
The Provincial Task Force with an assistance of police, district administration and other relevant departments were directed to remove direct electricity hooks and make recovery from defaulters on priority basis.
In this regard, the deputy commissioners would led the task force at their respective districts and report regarding removal of direct hooks and recovery of outstanding dues would be submitted to the caretaker Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on daily basis.
Directives were issued to the relevant authorities to take stern action against owners of hotels, traders, shopkeepers and vendors involved in taking illegal connections from the government departments, schools, hospitals, railways pattak and others.
The district administration and police were mobalized to assist Pesco field staff in removal of direct hocks and recovery of outstanding dues against domestic, agricultural and industrial consumers.
Strict disciplinary action were being taken against all those staff of Pesco involved in power stealing.
Meanwhile, the district administration of Khyber have registered FIRs against seven power stealers after they were caught red handed by stealing electricity through direct hooks.
The videos of power stealers and direct hooks were being prepared as evidence so that strong action should be taken against them.
IESCO detects 105 illegal connections
On the other, the Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) has expedited the drive against power pilferage and caught 105 meters and imposed fine of Rs7.567 million for stealing electricity in various areas of the company in the current month.
IESCO chief Dr Muhammad Amjad said that during the current crackdown against electricity thieves, the field formations checked 5,743 meters and found 105 meters of the electricity consumers involved in power theft through various means.
As many as 73 meters were found tampered while 22 were getting direct power supply, he said and added that a fine of Rs 7.567 million was imposed on the power pilferers while charging over 177,000 units.
He said on the directives of the Federal Minister for Energy, the IESCO launched the crackdown against electricity thieves and their facilitators in all circles including Islamabad-Rawalpindi-Attock-Jhelum and Chakwal circles.
All operation circles, including In-charge Executives and SDOs, were rigorously inspecting industrial, commercial, domestic and other tariff categories within their respective areas, the IESCO chief said.
He said that the local administration and police were also assisting the Company to carry out the operations. He expressed confidence in the success of this government-led campaign, with the full dedication of officers and staff.
Lesco takes action against eight officers
Meanwhile, the Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) has taken strict action against eight officers; five Executive Engineers (XENs), two Sub-Divisional Officers (SDOs) and a Line Superintendent (LS) for conniving in electricity theft and giving new power connection to a dead defaulter, the LESCO spokesman disclosed.
He said LESCO Director (Customer Services) Rai Mohammad Asghar took action against those officers after they were proved guilty in their respective departmental inquiries.
Sharing the details, the spokesman said that Mehmood Alam Qureshi, Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) of Qila Sattar Shah area has been removed from service for conniving in the electricity theft, and on the similar charges, an Executive Engineer (XEN) of Sheikhupura Rashid Soomro will not be considered for promotion in the next grade for two years and he will stick in Grade-18 during this period.
Hesco continues crackdown on power thieves, defaulters
Meanwhile, a large-scale crackdown against electricity thieves was continued on in HESCO region on Sunday. According to spokesperson, raids were conducted in several areas of region including Hyderabad, Tatta, Umarkot, Badin, MirpurKhas, Khipro, Dgri, NawabShah, Tando Allahyar, Sakrand, Tando Jam, Chamnbar, Kotri, Jamshoro, Nooriabad, Sehwan, Bhan Syedabad, Sanghar, Qazi Ahmad, Daulatpur, Saeedabad, Tando Adam, Shahdadpur, Matiari, and other areas, witnessed the disconnection of 4,891 illegal connections.
Furthermore, 27 transformers were removed and 3 remote control devices used for electricity theft were seized. These devices were being used for illicit power consumption. In addition to these actions, a recovery of more than Rs35.6 million was also made from defaulters and letters were submitted to the respective police stations for the registration of FIRs against 167 individuals.
According to the spokesperson of HESCO, on the orders of the Caretaker Prime Minister of Pakistan, the crackdown against electricity thieves will continue to eliminate electricity theft while the campaign has been intensified for the 100 percent recovery of Rs169 billion dues.
