Meter reader suspended in power theft case

LAHORE : Employees of Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) have expressed resentment over allegedly implicating them in power theft without holding inquiry.

They were of the view that they are forced to take brutal actions against power theft and at the same time they are being implicated in the charges of abetting power theft. They alleged that all such coercive measurers are being taken without holding inquiries against the accused.

When contacted, as senior official of federal Ministry of Energy (Power Division) commented that the campaign against power theft was a step in the right direction. He added that the hue and cry of the staff is testimony of the fact the right decisions are being taken against those involved in the pilferage.

On Saturday, Lesco suspended a meter reader on charges of helping consumers in electricity theft. The meter reader of GOR Sub-Division was allegedly involved in helping two customers to steal electricity by tampering with their electricity meters thus inflicting an accumulative loss of Rs 2.3 million to national exchequer, the company’s spokesman disclosed this to media here Saturday.

He added that on the special instructions of Lesco Chief Executive Officer Engineer Shahid Haider, strict action is being taken against Lesco officers and employees facilitating the electricity thieves.

The spokesman said that a special operation under the supervision of SDO GOR Sub-Division was conducted in Garhi Shahu area where power meters were also checked apart from checking the electricity pilferage from transmission lines of Lesco.

The Lesco team found that two consumers namely Muhammad Shahzad and Muhammad Asim were stealing electricity by tampering the meters, and caused loss of Rs 800,000 and Rs 1.5 million to national exchequer respectively.

According to SDO GOR Sub-Division, the accused tampered with the meters with the connivance of Meter Reader Adnan Hameed, who has also been suspended immediately and ordered to report to the concerned division. Applications for registration of FIRs against both the customers have been submitted in the Race Course Police Station, he mentioned.

Meanwhile, Lesco recovered Rs 31.77 million from the dead defaulters on Saturday in its ongoing campaign. Lesco also accused MS Ganga Ram Hospital and his wife of involving in stealing of electricity at their private clinic.