NAB Calls LESCO's Senior Management Over Alleged Corruption, Power Theft

(@FahadShabbir)

NAB calls LESCO's senior management over alleged corruption, power theft

National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Lahore's Awareness & Prevention (A&P) Wing on Tuesday called senior management of Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) over complaints of alleged corruption, power theft and bringing reforms in management related affairs of LESCO

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Sep, 2020 ) :National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Lahore's Awareness & Prevention (A&P) Wing on Tuesday called senior management of Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) over complaints of alleged corruption, power theft and bringing reforms in management related affairs of LESCO.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mujahid Pervaiz Chattha along with General Manager (Operations) Pervaiz Iqbal and Director Customer Services Bashir Ahmed briefed the NAB A&P's officials in detail.

During the briefing, NAB sought electricity tariffs' details of all private housing societies located in Lahore. Moreover, LESCO officials were also directed to provide details of cognizance taken over corruption practices committed through defective meters. A&P Wing also sought details of actions being taken against LESCO employees found involved in providing assistance in electricity theft, during last five years.

Smart Meters installation project's details had also been demanded by NAB and an elucidation was being sought for not installation of smart meters in areas with high ratio of electricity theft.

During the briefing, the CEO LESCO brought forth the reservation of facing staff deficiency and exclaimed that since 2015 to date, LESCO had not made recruitment, whereas, recently an approval had been granted to LESCO for appointment of minimum necessary staff.

The CEO briefed that LESCO had been facing 4.12% line losses but still the Company was more efficiently performing than Karachi's Private Electricity Provider Company. He further briefed that LESCO had Rs eight billion default three years earlier, while, currently LESCO had turned into a beneficiary Company which showed collection worth Rs 366 billion, annually.

Mujahid Pervaiz Chattha informed that complaints against Fuel price Adjustment Mechanism on part of farmers had been receiving frequently. He added that LESCO had been waiting for some strict orders against dead electricity defaulters from NEPRA.