LAHORE:The Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) detected a total of 21,677 connections from where customers were pilfering electricity in all its circles of five districts- Lahore, Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib, Kasur and Okara- during 50 days of a grand anti-power theft campaign.
The LESCO spokesman told media here Saturday that the company has so far submitted FIR applications against 21,457 electricity thieves, out of which 20,695 FIRs have been registered in respective police stations, while 10,160 accused have been arrested. The spokesman said that all the electricity thieves have been charged so far 42,701,670 detection units amounting to Rs 1,848,049,110.
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. Electricity pilferers as well as the LESCO officers and employees who facilitate them are also being brought to justice.
On the 50th consecutive day (October 28) of the anti-power theft campaign, the spokesman added, LESCO found 213 connections involved in electricity theft in all its circles and also submitted FIR application against 211 electricity thieves in the respective police stations, out of which 138 FIRs have been registered while 26 accused have 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 detection units. These included five commercial, one industrial and 207 domestic, and all these connections were cut off and charged a total of 279,063 units as detection bill amounting to Rs 12,726,155.
On the 50th day of the anti-power theft operation, the LESCO charged 6,750 detection units worth Rs 700,000 to an connection in Chak No. 39 Ferozwala; 6,315 detection units of Rs 35,000 to another connection on Haq Nawaz Road in Shalamar area of Lahore; 5,000 detection units worth Rs 320,000 to a power pilferer in Ghzai Park Shahdara Town; and 3,450 detection units of Rs 253,830 to a power thief in Barkatpura area.