LAHORE: The Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) Central Region claims to have charged illegal users around 25 million electricity units worth Rs810 million in a number of power theft cases during the last six months or so.

“During the period, our field formations formed special teams to nab those involved in electricity theft. The teams issued 15,671 detection bills to power thieves, charging them cumulatively 24.7 million units worth Rs810 million. Of the sum, we have so far recovered Rs539 million,” Lesco central region’s Superintending Engineer Chaudhry Rasheed told Dawn on Sunday.

According to a report he shared, the teams lodged as many as 2,378 FIRs at different police stations against power thieves after capturing many of them red-handed, while they were stealing electricity. The report mentions that the proposals related to laying/repair or replacement of low-tension wires were implemented in 304 localities. Besides this, 115 new transformers were added into the distribution system in a bid to upgrade it, while 189 transformers were upgraded with increased capacity to avoid overloading of the system in the summer season.

The report states that 16 major tasks related to rehabilitation of high-tension wires were also accomplished to rid feeders of overloading. Moreover, 38 jobs concerning replacement/upgrade of the insulated conductors were also completed. “The region’s recovery also remained 100.02 percent,” the report claims.

It says as many as 157 outdated transformers were also replaced with new ones, while the 465 applications related to net metering/solar connections of 4.9MW were approved.

As many as 2,829 defective meters were replaced, whereas the number of new domestic connections remained 21,153, followed by 1,409 commercial, 110 Industrial and 12 tube-well connections.

“We have also set up a cell to quickly resolve the public complaints. This cell is working at the regional headquarters,” says Mr Rasheed.

Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2023