In Lahore, the Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) has taken strong action against employees involved in power theft, as reported by ARY News. Within the last six months, a total of 101 employees have been terminated due to their alleged involvement in power theft.
According to a LESCO spokesperson, 10 employees have been arrested, while others have been forcefully retired after serious charges were proven against them.
In addition, some employees have been demoted and had their annual increments withheld. On April 7, the Punjab Energy Department accused power distribution companies of overcharging government institutions, referring to it as a burden on the provincial exchequer.
The Punjab Energy Department has reported that electricity distribution companies (LESCO, FESCO, MEPCO, GEPCO, and IESCO) in Punjab are overcharging government departments.
These departments have over 102,000 electric connections across the province. In the fiscal year 2022-23, the provincial departments consumed electricity worth over Rs 1.91 billion but had to pay Rs 76 billion.
The federal government has approved the deputation of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) officers to these electricity distribution companies to tackle power theft and improve bill collections as per the demand of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). A letter has been sent to the Power Division regarding the deputation of FIA officers in LESCO, FESCO, GEPCO, IESCO, and QESCO.
