Massive crackdown launched to combat power theft

ISLAMABAD:

A massive crackdown has been launched by the caretaker government to combat the alarming surge in power theft and to take stern actions against the culprits involved.

On the directives of the government, the Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) has expedited the drive against power pilferage and caught 105 metres and imposed a fine of Rs7.567 million for stealing electricity in various areas in the current month.

IESCO chief Dr Muhammad Amjad said that during the current crackdown against electricity thieves, the field formations checked 5,743 metres and found 105 of them involved in power theft through various means.

As many as 73 metres were found tampered while 22 were getting direct power supply, he said and added that a fine of Rs7.567 million was imposed on the power pilferers while charging over 177,000 units.

He said that on the directives of the Federal Minister for Energy, the IESCO launched the crackdown against electricity thieves and their facilitators in all circles including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Attock, Jhelum and Chakwal.

All operation circles, including in-charge executives and SDOs, were rigorously inspecting industrial, commercial, domestic and other tariff categories within their respective areas, the IESCO chief said.

He said that the local administration and police were also assisting the company to carry out the operations. He expressed confidence in the success of this government-led campaign, with the full dedication of officers and staff.

He emphasised that electricity theft put extra burden on the public and government institutions, adding that both the agencies and the public needed to work together to combat this menace.

Dr Khan appealed to the consumers to demonstrate their national and moral responsibility by reporting electricity theft and facilitators to the anti-power theft focal person at mobile number 0319-5991304 or to the complaint and monitoring cell at 051-9252933.

Meanwhile, the Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) has also taken strict action against eight officers; five executive engineers (XENs), two sub-divisional officers (SDOs) and a line superintendent (LS) for conniving in electricity theft and giving new power connection to a dead defaulter, the LESCO spokesperson disclosed.

Read also: 1,914 officers face the music for power theft

He said that Director LESCO Rai Mohammad Asghar took action against those officers after they were proven guilty in their respective departmental inquiries.

Sharing the details, the spokesman said that Mehmood Alam Qureshi, SDO of Qila Sattar Shah area has been removed from service for conniving in the electricity theft, and on similar charges, an XEN of Sheikhupura Rashid Soomro will not be considered for promotion in the next grade for two years and he will kept to Grade-18 during this period.

Asghar also issued orders for stopping the annual increment of XEN Manawala area Muhammad Rizwan for one year, as he was found involved in facilitating the electricity thieves.

After conducting a detailed inquiry, the company also took departmental action against the following officers on the charge of giving a new electricity connection to a dead defaulter, who owed more than Rs30 million in dues to LESCO, in the area of Kot Abdul Maalik.

Asghar said that the LESCO was committed to observing a zero-tolerance policy on the facilitation of power theft and the officer/official or field staff proved guilty of having connivance with electricity thieves would not be spared, adding that operation against electricity thieves would continue with full swing.

The Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (FESCO) also nabbed 87 people on the charge of power pilferage in different parts of its region during the past 24 hours.

FESCO spokesman Tahir Sheikh said that the company’s anti-theft teams conducted surprise checking of electricity supply metres in eight districts of the region and detected electricity theft at 87 points.

The power pilferers were stealing electricity through various modes. Therefore, the FESCO teams removed their electricity supply metres.

The FESCO also imposed Rs13 million as fine on more than 310,000 detection units. Separate cases were also registered against the power pilferers while further action against them was under progress, he said.

Read: Special courts to try electricity thieves

The Peshawar Electricity Supply Company (PESCO) has so far removed over 500 direct hooks during ongoing operations against electricity pilferers in the province.

“More than 500 direct hooks have been removed so far while fines for more than 7 million have been charged against electricity theft,” spokesman PESCO told APP.

As per the government’s directives, he said the anti-electricity theft operations continued in the province on war footings and more than 250 requests for lodging FIR have been submitted.

Meanwhile, 10 superintendent engineers of PESCO were assigned the duties of focal persons with a direction to make contact with provincial task force and divisional commissioners to curb electricity theft and provide relief to all those consumers who pay electricity bills.

The provincial task force, with the assistance of police, district administration and other relevant departments, was instructed to remove direct electricity hooks and make recovery from defaulters on a priority basis.

In this regard, the deputy commissioners would lead the task force in their respective districts and report regarding the removal of direct hooks and recovery of outstanding dues would be submitted to the caretaker Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa chief minister on daily basis.

The Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO) has launched a crackdown against power theft in the HESCO region.

The large-scale crackdown against electricity thieves continued in the region on Sunday. According to spokesperson, raids were conducted in several areas including Hyderabad, Thatta, Umarkot, Badin, Mirpurkhas, Khipro, Digri, Nawabshah, Tando Allahyar, Sakrand, Tando Jam, Chamnbar, Kotri, Jamshoro, Nooriabad, Sehwan, Bhan Syedabad, Sanghar, Qazi Ahmad, Daulatpur, Saeedabad, Tando Adam, Shahdadpur, Matiari, and other areas. 

Furthermore, 27 transformers were removed and three remote control devices used for electricity theft were seized. These devices were being used for illicit power consumption. In addition to these actions, a recovery of more than Rs35.6 million was also made from defaulters and the letters were submitted to the respective police stations for the registration of FIRs against 167 individuals.

The crackdown against electricity thieves will continue to eliminate electricity theft while the campaign has been intensified for the 100 per cent recovery of Rs169 billion dues.