Lesco detects 371 power pilferers

LAHORE:Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) has detected a total of 371 connections from where the customers were pilfering electricity in all its circles of five districts (Lahore, Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib, Kasur and Okara) on the 77th day of grand anti-power theft campaign.

The Lesco spokesman told media here Saturday that the company has also submitted FIR applications against 371 electricity thieves, out of which 227 FIRs have been registered in respective police stations, while 20 accused have been arrested.

Grand anti-power theft operations against electricity thieves are being conducted on the directives of the Federal Power Division and the Lesco Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Engineer Shahid Haider is supervising these operations.

The Lesco chief vowed that the operations would continue without discrimination until the complete end of electricity theft.The electricity pilferers as well as the Lesco officers and employees who facilitate them are also being brought to justice.

On the 77th consecutive day (Nov. 25) of the anti-power theft campaign, the spokesman added, large commercial consumers were also found involved in electricity theft and all of them were also disconnected and charged with detection units.

Among the seized connections 14 were commercial, 01 agricultural, 01 industrial and 355 domestic, and all these connections were disconnected and charged with a total of 440,583 units as detection bill amounting to Rs17.773 million.

Apprising the media about some major power pilferers, he explained that Lesco charged Rs216,800 detection bill against 2,960 units to an electricity pilferer in Ravi Riyan area; Rs200,000 fine in the form of detection bill against 2,500 units to a customer stealing electricity in Yousaf Park area of Shahdara Town; Rs200,000 detection bill against 5,076 units to another power thief in Empress Park area of Garhi Shahu; and Rs200,000 detection bill to a power thief in Gawal Mandi Lahore.

During the 77 days of grand anti-theft campaign, the spokesman mentioned, the Lesco detected pilferage on 30,000 power connections and submitted 29,630 FIR applications against electricity thieves in the relevant police stations out of which 28,596 FIRs have been registered, while 13,304 accused have so far been arrested by the police.

The Lesco has so far charged a total of 52,428,648 detection units worth Rs2,101,562,523 to all the power pilferers.