Managing Director Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco), Tahir Basharat Cheema has urged Chief Executive Officers of all DISCOs to take stringent actions against the defaulters and to eliminate power theft. He issued these directives while presiding over a meeting of Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of Distribution Companies at Wapda house Lahore, said a press release issued here on Wednesday.
MD Pepco directed that the company is making special efforts to eliminate electricity theft through concerted efforts, which are being focused on developing extra vigilance. Talking about provision of facilities to consumers through customer's service, based on strategic vision, administrative and service quality aspects of its operation, innovation and credibility based research blended with global trends, has to be followed by the distribution companies accordingly.
MD Pepco instructed CEOs that the load system should be managed against the demand verses supply to meet present and future needs, comprehensive plan for augmentation, enhancement and modernisation of distribution system on a priority basis. He also mentioned about Smart Metering/Automated Metering, assets management and new IT technologies in all DISCOs to upgrade its working and capacity enhancement.
Officials must give importance to consumers' satisfaction, while evaluating the performance of all the departments. Tahir Basharat Cheema also asserted that the staff of Distribution Companies to adopt positive, consumer-friendly and focus approach to bring out a qualitative and quantitative improvement in their respective companies. During meeting, CEOs of distribution companies gave presentations on overall performance and future targets of the companies.
MD Pepco lauded the efforts of CEO Lesco and his team for actions taken to eradicate power theft, apprehensions of electricity stealers and addressing the complaints against over-billing. It is pertinent to note that Power Distribution Companies had already served final notices of power disconnection to defaulters including Govt, Private, Public, commercial and domestic consumers.
Pepco has owed Rs 20 billion from private sector, which includes textile, furnace mills, steel mills, papers industries and chemical industries etc. Islamabad Electricity Supply Company's (Iesco) outstanding arrears against Government, Public and Private Organisations amounted to Rs 4.051 bn by ending this October, Presidency, Parliament House, Intelligence Agencies, Govt of AJK and Federal Ministries are also among defaulters.
Whereas Lesco had made public a list of 82 Federal, Provincial and autonomous bodies, which owed the Company Rs 1,575.23 million. Gepco had also served notices to 13 government departments and asked to clear outstanding arrears worth Rs 520 millions.
Whereas Fesco had asked the several Federal and Provincial Government Departments including Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, Police, Agriculture University etc to pay outstanding arrears Rs 77.4 million according to given deadline. Subsequently, Tribal Area Electricity Supply Company (Tesco) had also asked the head of various government departments in FATA and NWFP to clear their dues amounting to Rs 573.864 millions.
Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) chief has also asked speedy recovery of Rs 26426 million outstanding arrears from government and private defaulters. Such lists were never issued before, hence it shows the commitment and all out efforts of Pepco to recover huge amount through its defaulters.
MD Pepco Tahir has said though situation about load shedding is better now, but he later instructed CEOs and General Managers that tireless efforts should be made to enhance the improvement in every field, especially load management and its distribution, talking about the complaints regarding over billing by the consumers should be addressed judiciously and not a single extra unit must be charged by the DISCOs instead should always facilitate the consumers.