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FAISALABAD, Jan 21 (APP):Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (FESCO) has so far nabbed total 25,783 power pilferers during its ongoing region-wide anti-electricity theft campaign and imposed the penalties of Rs.2.7436 billion on the basis of 5,94,94,000 detection units while Rs.2.1533 billion have been recovered from these electricity thieves.
FESCO spokesman said here on Wednesday that during the last 24 hours, 26 additional electricity thieves were apprehended across six operational circles while penalties of Rs.0.8 million were imposed for more than 28,000 detection units.
He said that vigorous campaign against power pilferage would continue against all forms of electricity theft without any discrimination under zero-tolerance policy.
Giving some further details, he said that the offenders were found stealing electricity through direct supply connections, shunt systems, tampering with meter bodies, slowing meters and other illegal means. During crackdown, the FESCO teams caught 25783 power pilferers including 24,083 domestic connections, 822 commercial, 752 agricultural and 126 industrial.
The legal action has been initiated against the vast majority of offenders as applications for registration of cases were filed against 25,753 power pilferers. The cases against 23,894 have already been registered under the amended Power Theft Act while 16,528 accused have so far been taken into custody, he added.
Providing circle-wise details, he said that FESCO First Circle detected 6,031 power pilferers and imposed penalties of Rs.673.6 million for 14.268 million detection units.
FESCO Second Circle detected 5,315 culprits while fines of more than Rs.630.3 million on 14.142 million detection units were imposed.
Jhang Circle reported 2,798 cases, imposing penalties of Rs.238.6 million on 6.638 million detection units.
In Sargodha Circle, 3,850 power thieves were caught and fined over Rs.462.7 million on more than 9.2 million detection units.
Mianwali Circle detected 6,126 offenders, imposing penalties of Rs.557 million on 11.15 million detection units while Toba Tek Singh Circle reported 1,663 cases with penalties of more than Rs.181.1 million on 4.093 million detection units, he added.
Meters and other FESCO installations of the accused were removed from the spot, he added.
Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer FESCO Engineer Muhammad Aamir said that electricity theft was a grave national crime causing massive losses to the national exchequer and burdening honest consumers. The crackdown would continue until the last power pilferer in the region was brought to justice, he said and urged the public to report any suspicious activity to FESCO helpline or to the contact numbers printed on electricity bills.