LAHORE: Officials of Lahore Electric Supply Company on Tuesday disconnected power supply to Camp Jail for prison’s department failure to pay bill. However, the supply was restored after two hours on the intervention of senior jail officers who claimed that the Lesco ‘illegally’ disconnected power while ignoring the decision of the adjudicator.

Lesco officials claimed jail authorities failed to pay bill sent under 452 kilowatt load factor, however, jail officials said the prison was being supplied 384KW with inflated bill. Jail Superintendent Naveed Ashraf told Dawn the dispute had arisen four years ago when Lesco officials claimed the jail department had to pay millions of rupees under outstanding billing amount.

He said the matter was taken up with the Punjab government and Lesco and finally the director (reconciliation) at energy department, Punjab, was appointed adjudicator to resolve the issue. He said the adjudicator conducted jail’s survey thrice and accepted viewpoint of the jail that Lesco officials committed excessive billing showing extra load factor.

Ashraf said both the departments endorsed the April 18 decision of the adjudicator in which Lesco ‘conceded’ overbilling, but officials of Islamia Park sub-division suddenly reached the jail around 10am and cut off power supply.

The jailer claimed not a single official was harassed by jail staff and that the power was restored by Lesco around 12pm when he took up the matter with its chief.

He said Lesco actually owed Rs80m to the prisons department it received under excessive billing.