Crackdown on power thieves begins

LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: Over 330 electricity thieves, including important figures, have been found involved in power theft in the Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) region.

According to the Lesco spokesperson, 130 FIRs have been filed and 11 suspects arrested in a crackdown, which has been launched in the country. “Former Member of National Assembly Mehr Saeed Zafar Padhar was also found involved in electricity theft and he was charged Rs250,000 for 8,620 units.

Former District Council Chairman Rana Ayub was charged Rs69,457 for 1,096 units. Ex-Vice Chairman Allah Tawakal was charged Rs268,112 for 5,156 units and PTI leader Tariq Javed was charged Rs205,247 for 4,753 units,” he added. The spokesperson said that a housing society was charged Rs3,597,150 for 71,943 units.

Meanwhile, Energy Secretary Rashid Langriyal has said that a crackdown against electricity thieves has started in the country and all chief secretaries and IG police are cooperating in it.

“We know that the campaign against the thieves is not easy but there is no option of failure. The field formation has been instructed to take action against the thieves without discrimination.”

The Ministry of Energy has also proposed closure of shops and businesses across the country at sunset to overcome the power crisis, Geo News reported. According to sources in the ministry, the proposal is likely to be implemented from October 1 to February 15 and consultations have been started with all chambers of federations and business organizations for the implementation of the proposal.

Sources say the four provincial governments will be asked to implement the proposal, while draft legislation is being prepared to overcome the power crisis. According to sources, the initiative will save more than 1,500 MW of electricity every day.

Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) greenlit the relief proposal for consumers using up to 200 units, allowing the authorities to collect electricity bills in installments, sources told Geo News.

“The final approval to collect bills in installments will be taken by the federal cabinet,” sources said, adding that about 4 million electricity consumers are likely to get temporary relief from the initiative.

However, the interim government’s plan to provide relief to those consuming up to 400 units of electricity per month was rejected by the Fund, sources said, adding that 32 million consumers could have benefited had the proposal been approved.

They added that the Washington-based lender had emphasised the need to crack down on electricity and gas thieves and improve recovery.