Inflated bills behind improved recovery rate of power firms

Consumers allege company officials demand bribe for correcting bills

ISLAMABAD: Power distribution companies are involved in sending inflated bills to the consumers, which is a reason behind the improved recovery of bills and reduced losses.

Power consumers in the agricultural sector allege that officials of the electricity distribution companies are not only sending higher bills but are also taking bribe from them for making correction.

“It is unfortunate that officials of the power companies demand bribe from the consumers that are making regular payments instead of taking action against people involved in power theft,” a farmer said.

In only one circle of Kasur, the Auditor General of Pakistan had unearthed huge overbilling by the Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) where recoveries amounting to Rs3,006.79 million were put off.

A departmental inquiry had been initiated in June 2014 but no action was taken against the officials involved. Failure to comply with the recommendations and instructions given by the authorities resulted in the huge unpaid bills amounting to Rs3,006.79 million up to financial year 2014-15.

The matter was taken up with the company management in September 2015, but it replied that the case was being reviewed by the Ministry of Water and Power and the auditors would be informed when it was decided. No further progress was reported.

The audit report recommended that managements of power companies needed to resolve the matter swiftly and fix responsibility besides adjusting the deferred bill payments and preventing such practices in future.

Chaudhry Manzoor of Pakistan Peoples Party’s Central Executive Committee claimed that power companies were recovering the money lost in electricity theft from the farmers.

He alleged that industrial and commercial units stealing electricity but the burden was being put on the vulnerable farmers.

Even officials of the power companies were demanding bribe from the farmers for correcting their bills, he said and asked the Public Accounts Committee to take notice and resolve the issue.

Peoples Kisan Wing Kasur District President Chaudhry Muzaffar Ali said the farmers were being burdened with inflated bills for the last three years, which had added to their miseries.

He claimed that Lesco officials were involved in overbilling to portray reduced transmission and distribution losses instead of taking action against power thieves. “I can prove that Lesco men are involved in such practices.”

Lesco had no mechanism to refund the money received in the wake of hefty bills, he said, adding company officials were delaying the re-installation of electricity meters and had no clear policy in this regard.

However, an official of the Ministry of Water and Power insisted that all distribution companies were pasting the picture of meters taken from mobile phones on the bills to dismiss the allegation of overbilling. “This is the reason why the recovery rate has touched 93.4% from 88%,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 20^th,  2016.

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