Anti-power theft campaign: Lesco detects more 265 power pilferers on 49th day

LAHORE: Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) detected a total of 265 connections from where the customers were pilfering electricity in all its circles of five districts (Lahore, Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib, Kasur and Okara) on the 49th day of the grand anti-power theft campaign.

The LESCO spokesman told media here Friday that the company has also submitted FIR applications against 262 electricity thieves, out of which 168 FIRs have been registered in respective police stations, while 17 accused have been arrested.

Grand anti-power theft operations against electricity thieves are being conducted on the directives of the Federal Power Division and the LESCO Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Engineer Shahid Haider is supervising these operations.

The LESCO chief vowed that the operations would continue without discrimination until the complete end of electricity theft. The electricity pilferers as well as the LESCO officers and employees who facilitate them are also being brought to justice.

On the 49th consecutive day (Oct. 27) of anti-power theft campaign, the spokesman added, large agricultural and commercial consumers were also found involved in electricity theft and all of them were also disconnected and charged with detection units.

Among the seized connections 12 were commercial, 04 agricultural, 01 industrial and 248 domestic, and all these connections were disconnected and charged with a total of 352,946 units as detection bill amounting to Rs 15.174 million.

He explained that LESCO charged Rs 266,000 as detection bill against 3,482 units to an electricity pilferer in Islamia Park Lahore; Rs 200,000 fine in the form of detection bill against 4,650 to another customer stealing electricity on Fiaz Colony; Rs 200,000 detection bill against 3,960 units to another power thief in Baghbanpura; and Rs 181,400 as detection bill against 4,993 units to an electricity thief in Bahadarpura.

During the 49 days of grand anti-theft campaign, the spokesman mentioned, the LESCO detected pilferage on 21,460 power connections and submitted 21,242 FIR applications against electricity thieves in the relevant police stations out of which 20,468 FIRs have been registered, while 7,000 accused have so far been arrested by the police.

The LESCO has so far charged a total of 42,679,204 detection units worth Rs 1,834,833,308 to all the power pilferers.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023