Pakistan

Electricity bills: NAB seeks police help in nabbing defaulters

Anti-corruption watchdog is considering freezing assets of defaulters.

Our Correspondent April 22, 2013

The NAB chairman has directed all regional offices to pursue cases for initiating criminal proceedings against defaulters who have not cleared their dues within the stipulated time. PHOTO: FILE

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has asked the provincial governments to enlist the help of policemen to round up electricity defaulters.

The anti-graft body is also looking at other options such as freezing the assets of those who fail to pay their outstanding electricity dues by the April 20 deadline.

In a letter written to chief secretaries of all four provinces, the chief commissioner Islamabad, inspectors general of police in Punjab, Sindh, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and Islamabad, NAB has informed that criminal proceedings were being initiated against the defaulters.

The bureau said it intends to recover billion of rupees through registration of cases, arrests and freezing of assets under the provisions of National Accountability Ordinance 1999 on request of the government through ministry of water and power.

A 30-day notice was issued through print and electronic media for payment of dues to all defaulters, failing which they were warned that they risked prosecution under the law.

“The circular debt of the Electricity Distribution Companies (Discos) has reached an alarming level and results in a significant burden on the public exchequer and extensive load-shedding throughout the country,” said the NAB spokesperson.

The NAB chairman has directed all regional offices to pursue cases for initiating criminal proceedings against defaulters who have not cleared their dues within the stipulated time, he said.

NAB had also directed all Discos to disconnect the electricity connections of defaulters. Any failure to act upon NAB’s directions would result in punitive action under NAO 1999. However, the NAB spokesperson clarified that these directions did not apply to Lahore Electric Supply Company consumers and defaulters in view of the decision of Lahore High Court.

The deadline set by NAB for the clearance of dues by defaulters of electricity bills expired on Friday. NAB has already recovered Rs350 million from the defaulters during the current drive.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 22^nd, 2013.