Curbing losses: Federal Investigation Authority to go after electricity thieves

Anti-power theft unit in FIA set up under PM’s instructions.

ISLAMABAD:

To check power theft across the country, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday directed the interior ministry to form an anti-electricity theft unit in the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

The purpose of the new unit will be to investigate and take action against corrupt officials of Wapda and power distributing companies involved in power theft, while rounding up power stealers at the domestic level and in the industrial sector.

Appointing Hussain Asghar as the head of the unit, the premier urged him not to spare officials involved in power theft, which was causing immense losses to the national power grid.



“I mean business and I will seek an implementation report from the officials in next cabinet meeting,” said the premier, while giving guidelines to Asghar.

“I don’t want to repeat the practice of forming several committees. Instead I need results that provide relief to the masses.”

In response, Asghar assured the prime minister that he would gear up all the efforts to produce results and would compile a list of power thieves in the industrial sector and at the domestic level.



Sources revealed to The Express Tribune that Asghar agreed to initiate action against electricity thieves.

The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) disclosed on June 12, that electricity worth Rs40 billion is stolen every year because of malpractice by power distribution companies across the country.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 13^th, 2013.