Power and gas theft: Committee set up to manage campaign

Campaign to be expanded from eight districts to entire province.

LAHORE:

The Punjab government has set up a committee to work alongside the Task Force on Electricity and Gas Theft, whose campaign against resource theft is to be expanded from eight districts to the entire province.

The Chief Minister’s Secretariat issued terms of reference for the committee: to devise a plan and strategy for pro-active management of distribution companies (Discos) and the Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL); to identify collaborators in thefts from within Discos and SNGPL; to build a comprehensive system of evidence-gathering, investigation and prosecution; to devise a system though which accurate data can be gathered electronically for monitoring of loss and theft; to thrash out the issue of captive electricity generation by industrial units using gas with or without licences; to assess the quantum of theft by domestic and agriculture consumers; and to propose an appropriate strategy for action against them.

The committee also has the mandate to identify officials who can help pinpoint theft points, collaborators, and possible tampering with the system, and propose incentives for proactive officials.

The chief minister set up the task force, headed by Industries, Commerce and Investment Secretary Irfan Elahi, on June 26 to crack down on electricity and gas theft in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Multan, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sheikhupura, Sialkot and Faisalabad.

The committee consists of the industries secretary, the Punjab Police IG, the prosecutor general, the Federal Investigation Agency director, the chief executive officers of the Discos of Islamabad (Iesco), Gujranwala (Gepco), Faisalabad (Fesco), Lahore (Lesco) and Multan (Mepco), the SNGPL managing director, the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) chairman, and a representative of the Energy Department.

The members of the taskforce, apart from the industries secretary, include the PITB chairman, the Intelligence Bureau joint director, the Punjab Power Development Company CEO, the SNGPL managing director, the Operations deputy inspector general (DIG), the Special Branch DIG, the district coordination officer, the city police officers of five districts, the CEOs of Lesco, Gepco, Mepco and Iesco, and the general manger of the Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco).

The chief minister directed the departments concerned to deploy senior officials for raids against theft of electricity and gas instead of using lower grade officials.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 5^th, 2013.