Fuel and power theft: Go after the big fish, chief minister says

Sharif urges the officials to pace up the campaign.

LAHORE:

The owners of factories involved in stealing electricity and gas should be arrested instead of their employees, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Saturday. He was addressing a meeting of the task force on eradication of electricity and gas theft.

The meeting was attended by Minister for Local Government Rana Sanaullah Khan, MNAs Pervaiz Malik and Khawaja Imran Nazir, the chief secretary and the Sui-Northern Gas Pipeline Limited managing director. Task force Secretary Irfan Ali briefed the meeting about the progress of the crackdown.

Sharif urged the officials to pace up the campaign. He told them to go after the ‘big fish’. He said strict action should also be taken against the SNGPL and Wapda officials who allowed electricity and gas theft in their areas. Sharif said the crackdown would be extended to all Punjab districts.



The chief minister directed officials not to give in to political pressure. He also requested daily reports on the operation.

“The entire country is suffering load shedding because of these people,” he said, “They do not deserve leniency.”

He said that the departments concerned should concentrate on netting the big fish instead of targeting their poor employees.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 21^st, 2013.