MULTAN, Jan 10: Investigations into alleged stealing of useful implements from the 500-KV grid station of Multan has reportedly been initiated on the orders of Wapda authorities.

Sources said Wapda high-ups had sought report from the National Transmission and Dispatch Company on a news report about continuous missing of implements worth hundreds of thousands of rupees from the store of heavily guarded grid station situated on Khanewal Road near Qadirpur Raan.

It is learnt that general manager Naeemuddin Qazi of the Grid Station Operations wing of NTDC has summoned acting chief engineer Aslam Sadiq of NTDC Multan region, transmission line XEN Younas Bhatti and grid station resident engineer Sajid Ali at the Wapda House, Lahore, on Monday along with 'relevant' record.

It is also learnt that a committee comprising superintending engineer (200-KV), transmission line XEN (north) and a senior budget and accounts officer has also been constituted to probe the matter.

The Qadirpur Raan police had recovered about 280 kilograms of aluminium conductors from the possession of one Ghulam Shabbir in Karpalpur village in June last. The police had set him free to establish his proprietary rights over the recovered material when he had reportedly claimed its ownership. He has been absconding since then.

In the meanwhile, the matter had come into the notice of resident officer Sajid Ali of the grid station and later he reported theft of about 600 kgs of aluminium conductors in a letter written to the Qadirpur Raan police SHO on June 19 and demanded possession of the recovered material.

Later, the police handed over the recovered aluminium conductors to the RO on the orders of a civil judge on Nov 19 last. However, neither the RO nor any other officers concerned reportedly ordered any inquiry as to how the material was stolen from a heavily guarded grid station.

The NTDC's Multan grid station is the most heavily loaded of its kind in the country viz-a-viz circuit input and output. Sources said, therefore, the station had always been under strict security and pilferage of valuables without the connivance of some insiders was not possible.

On Dec 31, missing of about 1,400 kgs of aluminium conductors was reported on the checking of the grid station inventory. A senior Wapda official, who did not want to be named, said the irregularities surfaced were 'just a tip of the iceberg.'