Rangers’ help sought to launch crackdown on power thieves, defaulters

MULTAN: The Ministry of Water and Power has decided to seek Rangers help for recovery of arrears from chronic defaulters and for launching a crackdown on power thieves, the Mepco officials said.
They said that the ministry had directed the power distribution companies to prepare lists of defaulters for launching a crackdown on them. The Mepco sources said that the Ministry of Water and Power had written a letter to the Interior Ministry and sought the help of Rangers. The Interior Ministry had responded positively and showed its willingness to provide the services of Rangers, they added.
They said that a ruthless operation against influential power thieves would be launched in south Punjab.
They said that the Mepco had started preparing a list of defaulters in south Punjab and majority of them belonged to Dera Ghazi Khan division and Provincially Administrated Tribal Areas (PATA). The Mepco sources said that a number of consumers, including politicians, had been found stealing electricity. They said the Mepco had finalised all the arrangements for launching the crackdown.
The Mepco officials had also sought lists from field officials at the circle and subdivision levels. They said that the defaulters would be arrested on the spot on refusal to clear the arrears during the operation. They said that the operation would be jointly conducted by the Rangers, police and Mepco teams.
When contacted, Multan Electric Power Company Director Commercial Malik Imtiaz refused to give any information in this regard.
He said: “I do not know the actual amount of default in south Punjab”. He then disconnected his telephone.