Abid appeals apex court for guidelines to curb power theft

State Minister for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali Khan has appealed to Chief Justice Supreme Court and Chief Justice Sindh High Court to provide guidelines to power distribution company for effective action against power thieves and defaulters of outstanding electricity dues so that these companies could be able to provide maximum relief to power consumers.

The grant of interim injunctions to power thieves and defaulters of electricity dues is causing hindrances to power distribution companies to achieve their task of overcoming the line losses and recoveries, the State Minister said while addressing a news conference after presiding over the meeting with the officers of Hyderabad Electric Supply Company here at HESCO headquarters on Wednesday afternoon.

The PEPCO recorded power theft of Rs. 24.983 billion in HESCO Region in the year 2015, he said and informed that whenever the teams unearthed the illegal connections and initiated across the board action against power theft and defaulters, the big fishes enjoying the support of influential persons have challenged the action in the apex court and enjoying benefits instead to be made accountable.

The granting interim injunctions to these power thieves and defaulters causing hindrance to the power distribution teams to carry out massive action in order to achieve their task, Abid Sher Ali Khan said and disclosed names of some influential persons involved in power theft but continued enjoying benefits after obtaining inter- im injunction from the courts. He informed that the Ministry of Water and Power have approached the Law Department to file plea to apex courts for getting guidelines against those power thieves and defaulters who are seeking the cover of law to hide their acts, causing losses of billions of rupees to power distribution companies.

The State Minister said that the teams of HESCO with the support of Rangers are taking full action against the power theft and defaulters despite facing high political pressures from power thieves and defaulters. He, on the occasion thanked Director General Sindh Rangers for granting full support of Rangers to HESCO in its task of overcoming the lines losses by eradicating power theft and recovery of outstanding dues in the region particularly in the areas where the teams experiencing high resistance due to different natures of pressures.

He maintained that no leniency will be granted to any one and across the board action will be taken against power thieves and defaulters irrespective of their influence. The action against the defaulters of tube well connections will also be initiated from the next month, he informed.