MULTAN: The Multan Electric Power Company has terminated its 10 sub-divisional officers from service for using doctored snaps of meter reading on electricity bills in the city.

According to a handout issued here on Wednesday, the SDOs were suspended from service a couple of months back and directed to report to Mepco Headquarters. An inquiry has proved them guilty of the offence.

It stated that the SDOs were now terminated from service after the probe.

Those terminated from service are: Fatehpur SDO Muhammad Shahzad Bashir, Sanawan SDO Saleem Khan, Kot Addu SDO (second subdivision) Rahamtullah, Shah Jamal SDO Manzoor Husain Surani, Karor Lal SDO Esan Muhammad Saleem Iqbal, acting SDO Qasba Gujrat Muhammad Azhar Jamal, Chowk Sarwar SDO Shaheed Khan Muhammad, Chowk Azam SDO Anwar Ahmed Khan, Khangarh SDO Muhammad Muzaffar Amin and SDO (first subdivision) Kot Addu Abdul Wahid.

Kot Addu Executive Engineer (EXEN) Sardar Khan was sent on forced retirement on the same allegations.

The officials, however, seem reluctant to take action against a former EXEN of Cantonment Subdivision despite four inquiries confirmed his involvement in electricity theft.

The Mepco officials are allegedly hesitating to take action against a PML-N local leader who has close relations with a state minister as two electricity connections being used by his family members were allegedly tampered with.

According to sources, a meter having reference No 09151110686900U is in the name of the Leaguer and he paid bills only for two months during the entire year.

The last payment worth Rs10,316 was made after the issue was highlighted. Earlier, Rs2,719 were paid in November 2015. The actual bill amounted to Rs30,542.

Mepco Superintendent Engineer (Operation) Akram Bhatti said: “The department is going to impose fine on both connections involved in theft.”Emanuel Sardar, an inquiry team head, confirmed that theft from both connections was proved.

He said he had submitted his report to the chief executive officer for further action.

Published in Dawn December 8th, 2016