LAHORE: The Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) detected a total of 4,451 connections during last 11 days from where consumers were pilfering electricity.
A LESCO spokesman told the media on Sunday that the company had so far submitted FIR applications against 3,845 electricity thieves, out of which 2,730 FIRs [first information reports] had been registered with respective police stations, while 224 accused arrested. The spokesman said that all electricity thieves had been charged so far with 9,622,164 detection units amounting to Rs 409.452 million.
The spokesman added that LESCO found 755 connections involved in electricity theft in all its circles on the 11th consecutive day on Sunday of the anti-power theft campaign and also submitted FIR application against 504 electricity thieves in the respective police stations, out of which 222 FIRs were registered while 34 accused arrested.
During the operation, he said, large agricultural and commercial consumers were also found involved in electricity theft and all of them were also disconnected and charged with detection units.
Among the seized connections were 10 industrial, 72 commercial, four agricultural and 669 domestic, and all these connections were disconnected and charged with a total of 777,711 units as detection bill amounting to Rs 37,491,488.
On the 11th day of anti-power theft operation, the LESCO charged 9,270 detection units worth Rs 860,000 to commercial connection in Shah Khalid Town Ferozwala; 15,963 detection units of Rs 670,450 to an agricultural connection in Ladhe area; 6,050 detection units worth Rs 500,000 to a domestic connection in Ferozwala; and 4,280 units worth Rs 469,582 to customers stealing electricity directly from transmission line in Ghandipura, Ferozwala.
Separately, the grand operation launched by MEPCO against power pilferers continues on the 10th day, with as many as Rs 181.6 million in fines imposed on 4741 power pilferers so far during the ongoing drive across the region.
1933 cases were registered against power pilferers out of 2561 applications sent to police stations concerned, while 64 outlaws were nabbed by MEPCO teams along with police.
A Rs 155.3 million fine was imposed on 4241 domestic consumers; a Rs 8.4 million fine was imposed on 89 traders; a Rs 3.7 million fine was imposed on 37 industrialists; and a Rs 14 million fine was imposed on 169 growers over pilfering electricity to irrigate lands.
The Garden Town subdivision team, along with police, raided and caught a mini-grid station near Ali Wala main Muzaffargarh road and two power pilferers on the spot. The MEPCO teams raided various places across the region and detected power pilferage.
