Deadline looms closer: NAB to ‘name and shame’ electricity bill defaulters

Names of defaulters, who fail to pay dues by tomorrow, will be forwarded to the print and electronic media.

LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has decided to publicly name the defaulters who have fail to pay their electricity dues by tomorrow (Thursday) after its deadline expires.

The identity of those defaulters will be kept secret who pay their bills in the given time.

The defaulters’ names will be forwarded to the print and electronic media while criminal proceedings will be initiated against those defaulters who fail to clear dues by April 19. The criminal proceedings can also lead to arrests and prosecution, and no further extension will be granted for voluntary return of the defaulted amount.

The Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) is also assisting NAB in recovering dues and has set up cells in offices of power distribution companies (DISCOs). The defaulters can also pay their bills at DISCOs offices.

NAB had initiated proceedings on the offence of default in payment of electricity dues by the government under the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) 1999.

A public notice through newspaper advertisements was also floated on March 21, in which the defaulters were asked to pay their dues by April 4 (tomorrow) and obtain clearance from NAB after producing challan along with the latest paid bills.