LAHORE, July 13: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has ordered a vigorous crackdown on the people involved in electricity and gas thefts.

He said strict action should be taken against such persons without any discrimination and bowing before any pressure.

The chief minister said while presiding over a meeting of the Taskforce on Eradication of Electricity and Gas Theft here on Saturday. MNA Waheed Alam Khan, the IGP, the Lesco Board of Directors chairman, the Lesco executive officer, the SNGPL managing director and the officers concerned were also present.

According to a handout, Shahbaz said the people involved in electricity and gas theft were criminals and deserved no leniency.

He said the life of the people had become miserable due to such thieves because they stole electricity and gas worth millions of rupees and consumers had to face consequences of their theft in the shape of heavy bills.

While directing to bring electricity and gas thieves before the media, he said that all power companies, including Lesco and Fesco, should launch a vigorous media campaign against electricity and gas theft in their respective areas. The chief minister said the action should also be taken against Wapda and SNGPL officers of areas concerned in case of such thefts.

He said the menace of power and gas theft would have to be eliminated at all costs and he would himself preside over a meeting every week to review the performance of the taskforce.

Earlier, Taskforce on Eradication of Electricity and Gas Theft secretary Irfan Ali informed the meeting about the performance of the taskforce and details of the action taken against the persons involved in electricity and gas thefts.

He said the gas theft of millions of rupees had been traced in Faisalabad and Gujranwala.

ENERGY CRISIS: The chief minister said the energy crisis has negatively impacted the national economy and the country cannot be put on the road to progress without overcoming it.

He said this while presiding over a meeting held to review the progress and implementation of various energy projects here on Saturday. Provincial Ministers for Energy, Irrigation, Agriculture, the chief secretary, the P&D chairman, experts and other officers were also present.

The meeting discussed in detail the energy generating projects through biomass, hydel and other sources.

Mr Shahbaz said the resolution of energy crisis was the foremost priority of the government as the dream of development of economy and enhancing foreign investment could never be materialized without it.

Meanwhile, Wapda Chairman Syed Raghib Abbas Shah called on Shahbaz and informed him about the details of Hydel Power Vision-2025 and performance of the department. He said a medium and long term plan had been evolved for hydro power.