Electricity theft detected at 398 spots in five districts

LAHORE : Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) Wednesday claimed detecting 398 spots from where electricity is stolen in all circles of Lahore, Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib, Kasur and Okara districts during the 191st day of anti-power theft operation.

According to the Lesco spokesman, the company has also submitted cases against electricity thieves and 175 FIRs have been registered in respective police stations so far. The operations against electricity thieves is being conducted on the directives of the Federal Power Division, and Lesco Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Engineer Shahid Haider is supervising the operation.

The Lesco chief in a statement vowed continuing operation without any discrimination, and electricity pilferers and the Lesco officers and employees who facilitate them, are also being brought to justice. On the 191st consecutive day of the anti-power theft campaign, the spokesman said large commercial consumers were also found involved in electricity theft and all of them were disconnected and charged with detection units. Among the seized connections 11 were commercial, three agricultural and 384 domestic, and all these connections were disconnected and charged with a total of 260,391 units as detection bill amounting to Rs 7.313 million.

Apprising the media about some major power pilferers, he explained that Lesco charged Rs 252,000 million detection bill to an electricity pilferer in Akbari Gate area; Rs 200,000 detection bill to a power pilferer in Batapur Gate area; Rs 150,000 detection bill to an electricity thief in Shafiqabad; and Rs 147,000 fine in the form of detection bill to a customer stealing electricity in Kanganpur area. During the 191 days of the operation, the spokesman mentioned, the Lesco detected pilferage on 67,729 power connections and 65,776 FIRs have been registered against power thieves in the relevant police stations, while 20,110 accused have so far been arrested by the police.