Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial. PHOTO: ZAHOORUL HAQ
LAHORE:
The Lahore High Court on Friday directed power distribution companies to file a report on the performance of smart meters on a petition against electricity theft.
Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial also directed the companies to apprise the court about steps taken by them to stop power theft.
He also sought details of line losses and adjourned hearing till January 20.
The petitioner told the court that power supply companies had failed to control the electricity theft. He said theft could not be controlled until permanent chief executive officers were appointed at all companies.
Appearing before the court, counsel for Faisalabad Electricity Supply Company Ilyas Khan said the company had taken several steps to control the theft. He said smart meters were being installed to check power theft.
The chief justice directed him to apprise the court about performance of smart meters at next hearing.
LHC seeks govt’s reply
The Lahore High Court on Friday sought a written reply from the federal government on a petition of against the Workers’ Welfare Fund. The petitioners’ counsel told the court that collecting funds for workers’ welfare was the responsibility of the provincial government but the federal government was collecting the funds instead. He requested the court to restrain the federal government from collecting welfare funds. A deputy attorney general said the federal government had not empowered the provincial governments to receive the fund. He said in 2011, the federal government had issued a notification in this regard, saying that it would collect the funds. Justice Ayesha A Malik directed the deputy attorney general to present a copy of the notification on the next hearing.
LHC seeks copy of LDA notification
Justice Aysha A Malik of Lahore High Court on Friday directed the Lahore Development Authority to submit by January 21 a copy of the notification regarding reduction in commercialisation fee from 12 to six per cent.The court was hearing a petition challenging the levy of “12 per cent” commercialisation fee on use of properties for commercial purposes. The counsel for the petitioner said the government was collecting commercialisation tax from citizens.
He said it had started collecting 12 per cent commercial fee from citizens who were using their properties for commercial purposes.
He said the LDA could collect the commercialisation fee from properties already fall in commercial zone.
The petitioner requested the court to declare the notification for commercial fee illegal. A law officer of the LDA told the court that the authority had reduced the commercialisation fee from 12 to six per cent. The court directed him to produce a copy of the notification.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 18th, 2014.
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Smart meters can be out smarted by "Kunda Connection'. It will work only if the connection passes through the meter. In our cities & villages, connections are taken directly from main like.