HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco) has formed 14 special teams to ensure 100 per cent recovery on special directives of the secretary of power division and a massive crackdown has been launched against power thieves and defaulters in 14 districts of the province.

“Those who steal electricity are thieves of the nation and country. It is our prime responsibility to eliminate power theft. Those who pay will be supplied electricity,” Hesco chief executive officer Raham Ali Otho said, according to a Hesco spokesperson on Tuesday.

The CEO ordered that the special teams launch massive operation against thieves and defaulters so that outstanding dues (worth over Rs35 billion) of private consumers could be recovered and the company could be taken out of this crisis and strengthened.

A total of 4,921 power thieves were caught and Rs5.7 million was recovered from defaulters on Tuesday, while 2,700 thieves were caught and over Rs0.7m was recovered on Monday during the first day of the campaign, it was stated.

Published in Dawn, September 12th, 2018