Cut in power theft, line losses: Mardan declared loadshedding-free city

MARDAN: Federal Secretary for Power, Rashid Mahmood Langrial on Wednesday said Mardan had been declared a load-shedding-free city as it was among those towns where electricity theft and line losses had decreased.

He expressed these views while speaking at a function in connection with the Zero Theft Zero Loadshedding Mardan Initiative at the Town Hall and later talking to the media.

KP Chief Secretary Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry, Additional Secretary Power Arshad Majeed, Peshawar Electric Supply Company Chief Executive Qazi Muhammad Tahir, Inspector General of Police Akhtar Hayat Khan, Mardan Division Commissioner Shoukat Ali Yousafzai, Regional Police Officer Salman Khan and other officials were present at the occasion. The federal secretary said a national campaign against electricity thieves and defaulters was launched from 7th September.

"Up to 14 billion direct and 12 billion indirect benefits were received in September," he added. The secretary administration, police and Peshawar Electricity Supply Company (Pesco) officials of Mardan did an exemplary work in making the campaign against electricity theft a success.

To a question about the government institutions involved in electricity theft and default, he said the federal government released funds for the provinces and these arrears of electricity of government institutions were deducted from the funds.

The federal secretary also inaugurated the modern customer service center in Mardan.

The customer service centre will solve most of the problems of electricity consumers under one roof.

Earlier, Mardan Assistant Commissioner Ayshia Tahir gave a briefing about the operations conducted in Mardan against electricity thieves and defaulters.

She added 48 raiding teams along with and police worked against the electricity thieves.

The official added that 43 percent losses were brought down to 12 percent, while arrears recovery was 100 percent. She added that a 450 million amount was recovered in Mardan in one month.

Chief Secretary Nadeem Aslam Chaudhary, Pesco head, Mardan Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Zahir Shah and Markaze Tanzeem-e-Tajiran President Ehsanullah Bacha also addressed the function.