Anti-corruption tactics: SEPCO to hire women as meter readers, says Abid Sher Ali

The federal water and power minister holds a press conference in Sukkur on Monday.

SUKKUR: Given the massive corruption taking place while recording electricity meter readings by male staff, the federal government has decided to place its faith in women for the job.

State water and power minister Abid Sher Ali announced on Monday that they will be replacing the existing meter readers of the Sukkur Electric Power Company (Sepco), all of whom are men and allegedly involved in incorrect or excessive meter readings, with women. Ali was addressing a press conference at Arain Grid Station in Sukkur on Monday afternoon.

"This is the only way to get rid of the corrupt and incapable meter readers," he said, adding that women will do their work with utmost sincerity and honesty.

Ali admitted that the existing meter readers are reluctant to do the readings themselves. They have hired outsiders to record the readings, which is why there is an outpour of complaints about inflated bills, he explained.

During his Sukkur visit, Ali suspended 10 meter readers and two meter inspectors, besides five sub-divisional officers and an executive engineer on charges of corruption. A departmental inquiry will be conducted against these officials, after which disciplinary action will be taken against them, he assured.

Corrupt officials

"Many officials have become millionaires over time and, when action is taken against them, the court grants them reprieve and thus we are left helpless," Ali claimed. He gave the example of a lineman in Kashmore, Nadeem Shah, who has become a millionaire and owns a land cruiser along with a bungalow and agricultural land now. "Operation against power theft is no less important than the operation against terrorists," he said. A corrupt executive engineer in Gujranwala was suspended but the court granted him stay. However, despite all this he claimed that, we have succeeded in minimising line losses and bettering recovery position.

"Khawaja Asif [the federal water and power minister] and I are planning to hold a meeting with the Chief Justice of Pakistan to request him to issue directives to the lower courts not to grant a stay order to such elements," he said.

Power theft

On rampant power theft, he blamed the Sindh police for not cooperating with the federal government. According to him, some 312 feeders of Sepco are running with more than 90 per cent losses. "We have decided to switch them off," he said.

Ali appreciated that the chief minister of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has extended his full cooperation in this regard and the Sindh government should take a leaf out of their book. An amount of Rs72 billion is outstanding against the Sindh government, out of which Rs21 billion has been reconciled and Rs5 billion have been paid so far, he pointed out.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 9^th, 2015.