PESHAWAR: Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) intensified its campaign against power thieves and defaulters across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and got registered criminal cases against 36,583 people for having illegal electricity connections.

According to annual report of the power company, arrears of more than Rs19.31 billion had been collected from the defaulters. A Pesco spokesman said here on Wednesday that during the last one year drive, more than 87,000 illegal connections had been removed.

Of the accused persons, 53 were employees of Pesco, who had been found guilty of assisting the electricity thieves. He said 10,490 people were arrested on the spot for electricity theft and non-payment of bills.

The Pesco spokesman said they had a long list of defaulters in both private and public sector organisations. Of them, Giving details, he said Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA) town- 1 Peshawar had to clear Rs195.24 million (arrears of tube wells), TMA Town-2 Peshawar owed Rs174.78 million (on account of streetlights) and health department had to pay an outstanding amount of Rs95.63 million to the company.

He said that Pesco made all possible efforts to facilitate its consumers but there was zero tolerance for those involved in acquiring illegal power connections and damaging assets of the power company.

The official condemned besieging of grid stations and interference in power transmission system by some trouble makers in different areas of the province. He warned that those found involved in barging into grid stations would have to face the legal action for taking law into their hands.

The Pesco official appealed to the citizens to extend cooperation to the raiding parties against the power thieves to help improve the power transmission system.

Published in Dawn, October 3rd, 2024