LAHORE: The Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco), which tops off with line losses (both technical and commercial) among all distribution companies (Discos), has yet to initiate any action against domestic power thieves.

“The ongoing operation against power theft in the service areas of Pesco is only focusing the industry that is just 0.8 per cent of the total consumption,” a senior official told Dawn on Saturday.

“They (the government) know well that a major part of Pesco’s commercial line losses is domestic consumers against whom the government seems reluctant to take any action under political pressure.” Pesco’s commercial line losses are mostly due to domestic consumers in rural and semi-urban areas who continue to openly steal electricity directly from the 11kV distribution lines, the official, who requested anonymity, said.

“Pesco was directed to launch operation against industrial thieves first in five districts — Peshawar, Charsadda, Dera Ismael Khan, Shabqadar and Bannu -- where there are few industrial ones,” he said.

“There are places in these and other districts where many villages are on electricity connection directly from 11kV lines. The government is afraid of severe resistance from the residents of these areas, who have resisted such operations in the past.”

During the first quarter of this year, Pesco informed the Pakistan Electric Power Company about consequences of the government’s decision of reducing load shedding hours on in all those service areas falling within service jurisdiction of high loss feeders. Federal Secretary for Power Division Irfan Ali said that in the KP, the operation was initially started in three districts

“From today I have ordered Pesco to launch operations against all - whether industrial or domestic.”

He said operation in Sindh (except Karachi) was also underway. He said he had asked Discos in Sindh (Sepco and Hesco) to intensify the drive. After this, he said, he would also make launch operation in Karachi - the area of K-Electric. He said the operation in Balochistan would also be launched soon.

“Actually, the issue there (in Balochistan) is tubewells running on stolen power. There are also various administrative issues but we will surely launch the operation soon,” he concluded.

Published in Dawn, December 2nd, 2018