The Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) detected a total of 24,036 connections from where customers were pilfering electricity in all its circles of five districts- Lahore, Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib, Kasur and Okara- during two months of grand anti-power theft campaign. The LESCO spokesman told media here Tuesday that the company had so far submitted FIR applications against 23,796 electricity thieves, out of which 23,007 FIRs had been registered in respective police stations, while 11,924 accused had been arrested. The spokesman said that all the electricity thieves had so far been charged with 45,570,998 detection units amounting to Rs 1,924,175,510.
The grand anti-power theft operations against electricity thieves are being conducted on the directives of the Federal Power Division and 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 were also being brought to justice. On the 60th consecutive day (Nov 7) of anti-power theft campaign, the spokesman added, LESCO found 247 connections involved in electricity theft in all its circles and also submitted FIR application against 246 electricity thieves in the respective police stations, out of which 174 FIRs had been registered while 21 accused had been arrested. During the operation, he said, 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, 16 were commercial, one agricultural and 230 domestic, and all these connections were disconnected and charged with a total of 276,998 units as detection bill amounting to Rs 11,434,416.
On the 60th day of anti-power theft operation, the LESCO charged 6,977 detection units worth Rs 500,000 to a connection in Satto Katla area; 4,000 units worth Rs 300,000 to another connection in Kasur; 3,850 detection units worth Rs 200,000 to a power pilferer in Mustafa Town Lahore.
