Asks Ministry for Petroleum to submit a report. PHOTO: FILE
The misappropriation was revealed during a departmental inquiry. The modus operandi of the officials involved in the scam was to obtain extra fuel for power generation by tampering with the logbook.
After a comparison of data provided by FESCO, it was revealed that during May to December 2016, loadshedding was carried out for 44 hours but the generator was run for 1,038 hours, which consumed excess fuel worth Rs187,920.
The inquiry showed that in 2017, the duration of loadshedding was 160 hours and the generator was run for 399 hours, costing additional fuel worth Rs89,838.
In 2018, loadshedding duration was 40 hours and the generator was run for 58 hours, costing am additional Rs15,085.
Last year, loadshedding was carried out for only 12 hours but the generator was run for 112 hours, consuming excess fuel worth Rs47,006.
The practice continued since 2016 unabated. However, it came into notice of higher authorities after a complaint was made at the Prime Minister's Performance Delivery Unit.
On orders from the Rescue 1122 headquarters, the district emergency officer launched an inquiry.
He stated in his report that initial investigation had revealed that the hours of power loadshedding and breakdown noted in the office record was higher than that in FESCO data. Taking cognisance of the matter, the deputy commissioner of Bhakkar on June 7 relieved Emergency Officer Naveed Iqbal of his duty and asked him to report to Rescue 1122 headquarters.
The DEO of Bhakkar had written to the DG of Rescue 1122 about the misappropriation in May after conducting the inquiry.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 12th, 2020.
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