LAHORE: The Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) on Monday disconnected power supply to Bahria Town over non-payment of huge dues amounting to over Rs762m.

The disconnection of supply to the mega housing scheme was done after the company’s Raiwind division executive engineer reported the matter to the top authorities and sought permission from them to take action, Dawn has learnt.

“The dues in the wake of fuel price adjustment and quarterly tariff adjustment were to be paid by Bahria Town since long. Though the company served reminders to the Bahria town administration repeatedly, but to no avail,” an official source in Lesco said while talking to Dawn.

To a question, the official said the consumer (Bahria Town) also indulged into litigation with Lesco and the case continued till the Supreme Court referred the case to the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra), which also endorsed the company’s stance and that it was based on facts.

After this development, Lesco, after consulting its legal team, reached a consensus to again approach the scheme’s owner to pay the dues but in vain as the consumer didn’t clear the dues. At this, the Lesco Raiwind division chief wrote a letter to the GM (Operations) who gave a go-ahead to disconnect power supply to Bahria Town, the official maintained.

“It is submitted that the executive engineer (Operations), Raiwind has requested for disconnection of the B-4 connection (132kV Bahria Town Mohlanwal Grid Station due to non-payment of FPA/QTA amount of Rs762.82 million. The due date was February 23,” reads a letter.

“In this regard, it is requested to allow opening of 132kV line (DMG-2) controlling Dream Garden — Bahria Town and 132kV line CB (MGM-3) controlling Manga Mandi-Bahria Town to disconnect the power supply of M/s Bahria Town,” the letter written to the National Power Control Centre (NPCC), Islamabad, by the Lesco GM (Operations) says.

The official, to a question, said the scheme’s administration did not agree to pay the dues even in installments.

Power Theft: A Lesco team on Monday caught an industrial customer in Chuhng pilfering electricity during an anti-power theft campaign.

The Lesco spokesman told the media that during the operation, an industrial meter was found suspicious in village Mohlanwal and upon thorough checking, it was found that electricity was being pilfered by the consumer by installing a shunt in the meter.

He added that two flour mills, a sheller and a water pump, were being operated on the stolen electricity besides its supply to a house.

The Lesco team seized the meter and wires used in the power theft and registered a case against the customer with the police station concerned. The accused was also charged with Rs400,000 fine in the form of detection units’ bill.

Published in Dawn, February 27th, 2024