LAHORE: The Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) disconnected on Sunday power supply to two villages of Kot Radha Kishan (Kasur), whose feeders were already included in high-line loss category, over non-payment of electricity bills worth millions of rupees since long.

Reacting to the Lesco action, the residents of these villages took to streets and staged protest by blocking a main road.

According to a company spokesman, a majority of the residents of the villages — Mir Muhammad and Sattoki — are allegedly involved in power theft since long, besides not paying the monthly bills amounting to Rs85 million, despite issuance of repeated power disconnection notice.

Nearly 43,000 people arrested for power theft during 13 months

“Some of the consumers were found stealing electricity directly from the 11kV wires. This left us with no option but to disconnect power supply by removing 15 transformers in both villages,” the spokesman told Dawn on Sunday.

He said the consumers protested the Leco move by blocking main road and chanted slogans against the company.He said whenever the Lesco teams would entered these villages in a bid to cut power supply, check theft or recover dues, the residents offer resistance and quarrel with them. “We will not restore electricity supply to these villages till clearance of the dues,” he said.

Kasur district was on top of the list of districts in terms of power theft in 2023, having 10 of the total 26 highest loss making Lesco grid stations, causing losses worth nearly Rs17 billion annually to the exchequer.

The worst loss-making grid stations include Khudian, Kasur, Pattoki, Bhai Pheru, New Kasur, Kanganpur, Ellahbad, Chunian and Laliani. The other 18 high-loss grids stations of Lesco include Shahdra (new), Shamke, Rustam, Havaili, Batapur, New Ghazi, Chhung, Momin Pura, Raiwind, Sharaqpur, Dipalpur, Kahna, Dinwali, Sabzazar, Johar Town, Bund Road, Shahdra Scarp and Kot Radha Kishan.

Meanwhile, a Lesco team in Baseerpur subdivision (Okara circle) got a representative of local farmers arrested allegedly for being involved in electricity pilferage.

Meanwhile, according to the spokesman, as many as 43,000 people have been arrested by police on account of power theft since start of the anti-theft drive in September, last year.

He said that besides carrying out operations against theft, the Lesco maintenance teams continued upgrading the distribution system by replacing 12 transformers and installation of high-directional meters at 11kV feeders in various parts areas.

According to him, the Lesco teams have recovered more than Rs8.5 million from 315 chronic defaulters in all the five districts — Lahore, Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib, Kasur and Okara — during the last 24 hours of its recovery campaign.

The company, he said, has also recovered outstanding dues of Rs900,000 from 32 defaulters in Northern Circle; Rs1 million from 38 defaulters in Eastern Circle; Rs2.7m from 56 defaulters in Central Circle; Rs1.5m from 49 defaulters in South Circle; Rs300,000 from 32 defaulters in Nankana Circle; Rs900,000 from 46 defaulters in Sheikhupura Circle; Rs400,000 from 55 defaulters in Okara Circle; and Rs500,000 from 33 defaulters in Kasur Circle.

Published in Dawn, October 28th, 2024