ISLAMABAD: The government Tuesday publicised the names of around 50,000 power defaulters who didn’t clear their dues of Rs1 million or above for months and years leading to an outstanding amount of Rs248 billion.
The lists contain the namesof 45,454 defaulters. The outstanding amount surges to over Rs300 billion if dues of less than Rs1 million outstanding against the defaulters are added to Rs248 billion, a senior official told The News.
Nonpayment of power bills has been a major issue of power sector playing its role among other factors in increasing the circular debt that is standing at more than Rs1.3 trillion.
The lists have been placed on the website of Power Information Technology Company (PITC) of 10 Power Distribution Companies (DISCOs) of which the highest amount of Rs210.3 billion is outstanding against 26,095 agricultural tubewells falling in the jurisdiction of Quetta Electric Supply Company (Qesco).
Besides, 947 private defaulters of the company have not paid their bills of Rs2.04 billion. After the agriculture tubewells, the industrial sector is the major defaulter. In Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco), a total of Rs13.34 billion is outstanding against 8,219 defaulters.
In Sukkur Electric Power Company (Sepco), 6,494 defaulters have been enlisted with outstanding amount of Rs8.3 billion. There are 2,421 power defaulters in the Tribal Electric Supply Company (Tesco) against whom the government has an outstanding of Rs4.73 billion. In Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco), the outstanding amount is Rs3.3 billion against 460 defaulters.
In Multan Electric Power Company (Mepco), there are 324 defaulters who have to pay to Rs1.17 billion. The Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO) has to recover Rs732.9 million from 395 defaulters. Besides, there are 39 defaulters in Gujranwala Electric Power Company (Gepco) who have to pay Rs352.9 million. In Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (Fesco), Rs166.28 million is outstanding against 30 defaulters, while in Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO), 30 consumers are defaulting on Rs107.19 million.
The Power Division has bifurcated the defaulters in two groups, including running defaulters and dead/disconnected defaulters in the power distribution companies (Discos). The running defaulters are those who are paying the current bills but still carry outstanding, while the other segment is of those whose connections have been disconnected and they have not paid their bills for years.
A week back the federal government had decided to make the names of power defaulters public and seize their properties after April 30, 2019. Last month, the Power Division had time and again informed the defaulters through a special drive to clear their outstanding by April 30.
The Power Division told this reporter that though the defaulters were influential having affiliation with political parties, the government was committed to taking a stern action against them and might even seize their properties.
