MULTAN, Dec 26 (APP):The ongoing campaign ordered by the federal government against power theft resulted in departmental action against 29 officials of Multan Electric Power Company (Mepco) and authorities were able to deposit in the national kitty over half of nearly a billion Rupee they had imposed as fine on power pilferers during last few months in south Punjab.
Mepco teams had imposed Rs 935.2 million as a fine on power pilferers out of which over Rs 534.9 million has been recovered and deposited in the government account since Sept 7, 2023, the day when the campaign was launched,
said a release issued by Mepco spokesman here Tuesday.
Mepco teams caught over 14000 (14239 to be exact) power pilferers so far during the campaign ordered by caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar Ul Haq Kakar and 13,654 cases were registered against them. Out of these, 9546 power pilferers were arrested by Mepco teams accompanying the police force in south Punjab.
Large-scale power theft was detected in rural areas, exactly in 405 villages in Dera Ghazi Khan and Rahim Yar Khan circles alone, the spokesman said adding that it compelled the Mepco officials to remove transformers and high tension Jumpers from such areas.
Elaborating further, he said, the power supply to 107 villages in no-go areas of DG Khan and Rajanpur districts and 298 villages in Rahim Yar Khan was disconnected and transformers and HT jumpers were removed.
A sum of Rs 2 billion was recovered from 89,943 defaulters and over half of this recovery came from 78,214 defaulters who were domestic consumers.
A sum of Rs 77 million was recovered from 4944 defaulting traders, Rs 110 million from 572 defaulter industries and Rs 794.3 million from 6000 tube well consumers.
