Power to the people: LHC urges legislation to curb electricity theft

Chief justice says government should provide affordable electricity to the poor.

LAHORE:

Lahore High Court Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial on Friday directed the federal government to make laws to control electricity theft.

The judge disposed of petitions against load shedding that had been pending for around 30 months. During the hearing on Friday, Justice Bandial observed that the authorities were familiar with the idea of raising the electricity tariff, but were clueless when it came to controlling electricity theft. The CJ remarked that the government should take effective steps to provide uninterrupted electricity to the poor on affordable rates. The judge added that the government should also review the policy on late-night ceremonies and save electricity by barring such ceremonies through legislation.

The Ministry of Water and Power joint secretary submitted in court that the government had initiated projects to control load shedding and the projects would be completed within the scheduled time.

Advocate Azhar Siddique, one of the main petitioners, had filed his petition in 2011, challenging the electricity load shedding. He subsequently filed several civil miscellaneous applications (CMAs) over the rise in the electricity tariff and changes in the load shedding schedule.

In one of his CMAs, he had submitted that even as the whole country suffered from debilitating load shedding, VVIP buildings like the presidency, Prime Minister’s House, Governor’s House, Chief Minister’s House and ministers’ houses were exempted from load shedding, which was a serious violation of Article 25 of the Constitution, which barred discrimination among the citizens.

During the Pakistan Peoples Party tenure, Siddique had filed a CMA claiming that the Punjab was being subjected to discrimination through excessive load shedding and given less share in electricity. He said electricity theft was worse in other provinces and recovery of dues there was also lower than in the Punjab.

He said that all public hospitals were in theory exempt from load shedding but many patients had died there due to load shedding.

He said Bahria Town Housing Society in Lahore was also exempt from load shedding in violation of Articles 9 and 25 of the Constitution. He had requested the court to direct the federal government and electricity generation, distribution and regulation authorities to ensure that there was no load shedding at prayer times.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 7^th, 2014.