LAHORE: The Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) detected a total of 48,489 connections from where consumers were allegedly pilfering electricity in all its circles of five districts — Lahore, Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib, Kasur and Okara — in 140 days of anti-power theft campaign.
A spokesman told the media on Saturday that LESCO submitted 48,033 FIR [first information report] applications against electricity thieves in the relevant police stations, out of which 45,268 cases were registered and 17,417 accused were arrested. LESCO so far charged a total of 68,799,505 detection units worth Rs 2.675 billion [or precisely Rs 2,675,116,715] to all power pilferers.
On the 140th consecutive day of the campaign, the spokesman added, LESCO teams detected 455 power pilferers and submitted 455 FIR applications with the respective police stations, out of which 183 cases were registered, while five accused were arrested.
Large commercial consumers were also found involved in electricity theft during the campaign, an
d all of them faced disconnection of their connections. Among the severed connections were seven commercial, four agricultural and 444 domestic. All power pilferers were charged with a total of 368,813 units as detection bill amounting to Rs 11.285 million.
Apprising the media about some major power pilferers, he explained that LESCO charged detection units worth Rs 200,00 to an electricity pilferer in Anarkali area, Rs 120,000 to a power thief in Gulshan-e-Ravi area, Rs 110,000 to a consumers stealing electricity in Shahdara area, and Rs 106,250 to another consumers stealing electricity in Shadbagh area.