PESHAWAR, Sep 10 (APP): Peshawar Electricity Supply Company (PESCO) has so far removed over 500 direct hooks during ongoing operations against electricity stealers in the province.
“More than 500 direct hooks have been removed so far while fines for more than 7 million have been charged against electricity theft,” spokesman of PESCO told APP on Sunday.
As per the govt directives, he said the anti-electricity theft operations continued in the province on a war footings basis and more than 250 requests to lodge FIR have been submitted.
Meanwhile, 10 superintendent engineers of PESCO were assigned the duties of focal persons with a direction to make contact with the provincial task force and divisional commissioners to curb electricity theft and provide relief to all those consumers who pay electricity bills.
The Provincial Task Force with the assistance of police, district administration, and other relevant departments was directed to remove direct electricity hooks and make recovery from defaulters on a priority basis.
In this regard, the deputy commissioners would lead the task force in their respective districts, and report regarding the removal of direct hooks and recovery of outstanding dues would be submitted to the caretaker Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on a daily basis.
Directives were issued to the relevant authorities to take stern action against owners of hotels, traders, shopkeepers and vendors involved in taking illegal connections from the government departments, schools, hospitals, railways pattak and others.
The district administration and police were mobalized to assist PESCO field staff in the removal of direct hocks and recovery of outstanding dues against domestic, agricultural and industrial consumers.
Strict disciplinary action was being taken against all those staff of PESCO involved in power stealing.
Meanwhile, the district administration of Khyber has registered FIRs against seven power stealers after they were caught red-handed by stealing electricity through direct hooks.
The videos of power stealers and direct hooks were being prepared as evidence so that strong action should be taken against them.