Gas and power theft: Only 1 utility employee among 225 accused

136 large-scale theft cases registered since crackdown began.

LAHORE:

A total of 136 large-scale gas and electricity theft cases – involving pilferage of more than Rs500,000 worth of electricity or Rs1 million worth of gas – have been registered since the crackdown against resource theft was launched back in June.

But of the 225 accused persons in these cases, involving total theft of resources worth Rs3.516 billion, only one is an employee of a utility supply company, The Express Tribune has learnt.

An official familiar with the work of the taskforce on gas and electricity theft said that this was a clear indication that corrupt officials within power supply companies and the Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) were not being targeted in the government’s campaign, launched by Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.



The official said that 45 cases of electricity theft, involving stolen power worth a total of Rs950 million, and 91 cases of gas pilferage, for Rs2.566 billion worth of natural gas, had been registered since June 26, when the chief minister set up the taskforce to combat the menace.

Of the 70 accused in 45 power theft cases, 57 have been arrested and challans have been submitted against 37. One of the accused is a meter reader. The highest number of these cases, 18, were registered in Gujrat, 13 in Lahore and one each in Gujranwala and Sheikhupura. Of the 155 accused in 91 gas theft cases, 32 are absconders whom the police have been unable to locate and arrest. Police have submitted 46 challans. Nineteen of these cases, involving gas theft worth Rs1.086 billion, were registered in Lahore, 12 in Sialkot, and one each in Kasur, Mandi Bahauddin, Jhelum, Khushab and Khanewal. Ten of these cases were registered against owners of CNG stations and the rest were against factory owners. No action has been taken against a single SNGPL official over the gas theft.

Officials in both SNGPL and the Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) admitted off the record that such large-scale theft was not possible without the involvement of officials within the companies.

The inspector general of Punjab Police had ordered investigating teams to make sure that government or utility company employees do not get away with abetting gas or electricity theft.

The government taskforce is headed by the industries, commerce and investment secretary and includes the Punjab Information Technology Board chairman, the joint director of the Intelligence Bureau, the Punjab Power Development Company chief executive officer, the SNGPL managing director, the Operations DIG, the Special Branch DIG, the DCO, five city police officers, the chief executive officers of Lesco, the Gujranwala Electric Power Company, the Multan Electric Power Company and the Islamabad Electric Supply Company, and the general manager of the Pakistan Electric Power Company.

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