In a shocking incident, a case of electricity theft has been registered against a three-year-old child in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, ARY News reported on Tuesday.
Based on a complaint from the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO) and the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), an FIR was registered against the minor boy, Zaeem Abbas, for allegedly being involved in power theft.
The child was subsequently presented in the Court of the Additional Sessions Judge. However, the child’s lawyer stated that the judge dismissed the case upon receiving an affidavit, further noting that officials from WAPDA/PESCO were unsure if the child was their client.
Last month, in a startling revelation, power theft in Power Distribution Companies (DISCOs) reportedly resulted in a whopping Rs 438 billion loss to the national treasury. According to sources, the losses soared to over Rs 438 billion out of the total annual billing of Rs 723 billion.
Sources said that the power division has declared the power supply companies in Hyderabad, Sukkur, Peshawar, Quetta, and Tribal areas as the worst-performing DISCOs.
On April 7, the Punjab Energy Department accused power distribution companies of overcharging government institutions, terming it a burden on the provincial exchequer. The energy department maintained that the Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO), Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (FESCO), Multan Electric Power Company (MEPCO), Gujranwala Electric Power Company (GEPCO), and Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) are overcharging government departments.
It added that there are over 102,000 electric connections at government departments across the province. “In the financial year 2022-23, the provincial departments consumed electricity worth over Rs 1.91 billion but had to pay Rs 76 billion,” it added.
It is worth mentioning here that the federal government approved the deputation of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) officers to electricity distribution companies (DISCOs) to end power theft. The move was taken to end power theft and enhance recoveries at the demand of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the sources said.
