LAHORE: The Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) has detected a total of 36,428 connections from where the customers were pilfering electricity in all its circles of five districts (Lahore, Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib, Kasur and Okara) in 100 days of grand anti-power theft campaign.

According to sources, the LESCO also submitted 36,036 FIR applications against electricity thieves in the relevant police stations during the 100 days of grand anti-theft campaign, out of which 34,676 FIRs have been registered, while 16,005 accused have so far been arrested. The LESCO has so far charged a total of 57,552,381 detection units worth Rs 2,243,356,910 to all the power pilferers.

It may be noted that a 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 100th consecutive day of the anti-power theft campaign, they added, the LESCO teams detected 60 power pilferers and submitted 59 FIR applications with respective police stations, out of which 22 FIR have been registered.

During the operation, large commercial consumers were also found involved in electricity theft and all of them were also disconnected. Among the seized connections were 04 commercial and 56 domestic. All the power pilferers were charged with a total of 62,323 units as detection bill amounting to Rs 2.540 million.

The LESCO has charged detection units worth Rs 110,000 to an electricity pilferer in Sharqpur area and Rs 100,000 to another customer stealing electricity in Ferozwala area, said sources.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023