CEOs of four Discos removed over line losses, power theft

ISLAMABAD: Out of ten state-run power distribution companies (Discos), the government has removed the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of four companies for administrative negligence, accumulating huge losses and failing in achieving the federal government’s assigned targets including checking the power theft and line losses.

The CEOs who have been removed from their seats include Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) CEO Shabir Ahmad Jilani, Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) CEO Wajid Kazmi, Sukkur Electric Supply Company (Sepco) Abdul Latif Anjum and Quetta Electric Supply Company (Qesco) CEO Rahmatullah Baloch.

Interestingly, in three months (October-December 2017), the accumulative losses of all ten state-run Discos increased by around 84 percent to Rs40 billion while in same months of the last year, the losses were Rs21.73 billion. Only in month of December 2017, losses of these ten Discos increased to Rs20.22 billion compared to Rs7.64 billion in December 2016.

It is worth mentioning that despite the government in November 2017 exempted over 5,000 feeders from power outage, and decided to provide the consumers uninterrupted power supply, but unfortunately, due to weak performance of the Discos’ heads, the losses increased instead of cutting them down. That time, the government had also informed the public that it would do a comparative analysis of these feeders and would decide to increase the loadshedding on low performing feeders.

In these three months, the government tried to ensure uninterrupted supply to the consumers, and in those areas where the theft and losses exist, the loadshedding hours have been substantially reduced and also made efforts to remove system constraints, but these Discos failed in executing the directions properly.

In October 2017, 9.41 billion units were supplied to the consumers against 8.06 billion in same month of 2016. In November 2017, 6.61 billion units provided while same month of last year, the supply was at 6.42 billion units. In December 2017, around 7.13 billion units were supplied to consumers while in December 2016 the supplied electricity was 6.54 billion units.

According to the notifications of the Power Division, Zaka Ullah Gandapur, General Manager (GM) who is currently posted as CEO of Tribal Electric Supply Company (Tesco) has been transferred as GM in Pesco and assigned to look after the work of Pesco CEO with immediate effect and until further orders purely on temporary basis as stop-gap arrangement, a notification issued by the Power Division states.

Amjad Khan who is presently posted as GM (technical) at Pesco is transferred to Tesco and assigned to look after the work of Tesco CEO with immediate effect and until further orders purely on temporary basis as stop-gap arrangement.

Atta Ullah Bhutta, Qesco Chief Engineer, presently posted as Qesco Director Operations, is assigned to look after the work of Qesco CEO with immediate effect and until further orders purely on temporary basis as stop-gap arrangement.

Mujahid Pervez Chattha, Chief Engineer (CSD) at Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (Fesco) has been transferred as chief engineer in Lesco and assigned to look after the charge of the Lesco CEO on temporary basis.

Saeed Ahmad Dawach, Chief Engineer (P&D) Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco) has been transferred and posted as chief engineer at Sepco and assigned to look after the work of Sepco on temporary basis.