LAHORE: In the ongoing race to achieve targets and show ‘good’ results, various power distribution companies (Discos) have allegedly furnished fake data regarding collection and registration of consumers’ mobile phone numbers to the Ministry of Energy’s power division.

The Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (Fesco), Multan Electric Power Company, Islamabad Electric Supply Company (Iesco) and Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco) provided fake data while collecting and registering mobile numbers of several consumers (1,300 to over 9,000). Whereas, Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco), Gujranawala Electric Power Company (Gepco), Peshawar Electric Power Company (Pesco), Quetta Electric Supply Company (Qesco) and Sukkar Electric Power Company (Sepco) showed fake mobile numbers in 6 to 560 cases.

Collection and registration of consumers’ mobile numbers is one of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) of Discos to provide necessary information on monthly meter reading, issuance and deposit of bills, load shedding schedule etc to all domestic, commercial and industrial consumers.

For the KPI, the Pakistan Electric Power Company has set a benchmark of five same mobile numbers of a consumer who may have got installed one to five electricity connections on his / her name. And if six identical numbers or above are found against the name of a consumer, the data is declared fake.

According to a recent performance review meeting of Discos hosted by the Pepco, the Hesco stands on top in compiling fake information in many cases. Its record shows 9,023 cases where one mobile number is repeated six times in each case.

Fesco stood second, as its record showed 5,516 such cases. Mepco’s fake registration of mobile numbers was detected in 1,839 cases, followed by Iesco that showed 6-time repeated numbers in 1,301 cases. Gepco’s wrong cell numbers were found in 559 cases, Sepco furnished 155 cases while Pesco’s record showed 126 cases.

Qesco and Lesco performed better as their records showed six and 20, respectively. The same KPI was not applicable for the Tribal Electric Supply Company—the country’s smallest disco.

As far as mobile meter reading (MMR) implementation status is concerned, six Discos achieved the target. Lesco, Gepco, Iesco, Mepco and Sepco fully implemented the MMR.

Published in Dawn, February 20th, 2018