Pointless law

The problem of power theft must be tackled so that we can move a few steps closer to tackling power crisis

Since the introduction of the Electricity Theft Act in January this year, and the introduction of smart meters and other devices, electricity distribution companies across the country have been registering more electricity theft cases than ever before. At least 152 such cases have been filed every day since 2010. But the entire exercise seems to be a rather pointless one, given that while more than 279,000 cases have been filed by the top 10 power distributors, the rate of conviction in these cases remains only 1.5 per cent. This is due to the inadequacies of the criminal justice system. As a result of this flaw, a sum of around Rs408.4 billion remains outstanding against consumers of these power companies. This information has been put before parliament, with the highest number of electricity theft cases occurring in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab.

The issue, of course, is that the low rate of conviction means the intended deterrent effect is not setting in. Experts have long argued the high rate of power theft, with major consumers also involved in the practice, is a factor in the acute power crisis that we face. This crisis is, of course, being felt today in homes and workplaces across the country, with protests staged recently in both Lahore and Rawalpindi over both power cuts and shortage of gas. Given the gravity of the situation, urgent measures are desperately required. The influentials have, for decades, been getting away with such theft without penalty. The data obtained by this newspaper shows just how critical the situation is. Now that the facts are out in the open, we need to see some action. The legislation put in place is quite obviously toothless, in the absence of a system under which offenders can be punished. The problem must be tackled so that we can move a few steps closer to tackling a crisis that has, literally and metaphorically, cast a cloud of darkness everywhere, adding to the hardships of daily life and causing huge economic losses as industries and workshops grind to a halt. This simply cannot be allowed to continue indefinitely.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 21^st, 2014.

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