Lesco detects 429 power pilferers during last 24 hours

LAHORE:The Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) detected a total of 429 connections from where consumers were pilfering electricity in all its circles of five districts — Lahore, Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib, Kasur and Okara — on the 134th day of the anti-power theft campaign.

A Lesco spokesman told the media on Sunday that the company also submitted FIR applications against 429 electricity thieves, out of which 177 FIRs have been registered in respective police stations, while 22 accused have been arrested.

On the 134th consecutive day 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. Among the seized connections were eight commercial, one agricultural and 420 domestic. All the power pilferers were charged with a total of 349,124 units as detection bill amounting to Rs13.784 million. Apprising the media of some major power pilferers, he explained that Lesco charged detection units worth Rs880,000 to an electricity pilferer in Chunian tehsil of Kasur; Rs300,000 and Rs250,000 detection bills respectively to two customers stealing electricity in Johar Town Lahore, and Rs200,000 fine to a power thief in Misri Shah area of Lahore.

During the 134 days of grand anti-theft campaign, the spokesman mentioned, the Lesco detected pilferage on 46,337 power connections and submitted 45,883 FIR applications against electricity thieves in the relevant police stations, out of which 43,177 FIRs have been registered, while 17,258 accused have so far been arrested by the police.

Meanwhile, Lesco Wagah Sub-Division’s SDO along with his team checked main transmission lines and power meters during a search operation late last night and found three customers stealing electricity in Hamad Garden area.

The company’s spokesman told media here Sunday that two accused were stealing electricity by hooking wires on Lesco’s main supply lines, while the other one was pilfering power through a bogus meter.

The inspection team seized the wires and bogus meter used in electricity theft and submitted an FIR application against all the three accused in the relevant police station, besides initiating the process of serving detection bills to the accused.The Lesco has so far charged a total of 66,929,331 detection units worth Rs2,599,500,917 to all the power pilferers.