LAHORE: While the consumers are facing scheduled and unscheduled power outages, they are also being fleeced allegedly through inflated bills based on average units/billing on the pretext of faulty meters.

The field formations of the Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) have failed to replace faulty meters with new ones as the practice is creating an opportunity of corruption for the officials, Dawn has learnt.

On the other hand, the Lesco administration on Monday suspended two officials of the Kahna subdivision for being involved allegedly in overbilling to fleece customers.

“Our electricity meter went out of order around a year ago. We registered complaints and requested the Lesco area office to change the faulty meter in a bid to receive bill as per the actual reading. But no one bothered and instead of fixing the problem, the authorities started sending us average bills,” complains a consumer of Allama Iqbal Town, which falls under service jurisdictions of Iqbal Town subdivision of Lesco.

Company suspends two officials for involvement in overbilling

“Though we, from time to time, kept reminding them (Lesco officials) but till date we are waiting for replacement of our faulty meter,” he adds.

The consumer says that average billing is always calculated on the basis of previous bills/use of electricity. According to him, from May 2022 to December 2022, he received average bills amounting to Rs2,725, Rs4,708, Rs14,931, Rs6,437, Rs7,810, Rs4,194, Rs3,032 and Rs2,745, respectively. Similarly, from January to June this year, the average bills amounting to thousands of rupees are being served on the reading based on guess or assumption.

“We want bills in line with the reading,” he declares, requesting the Lesco management to take action.

Talking to Dawn, a resident of Al-Falah Town (near Bedian Road) also complained about the similar issues.

“Some months ago, our meter developed a fault but it was not replaced, prompting the officials to send average bills.

“They are neither replacing the meter nor stopping the inflated bills,” he deplores. Similar complaints have also been received from some residents of Chungi Amar Sidhu, Batapur and other areas.

According to another consumer who lives in a residential scheme abutting Khayaban-i-Jinnah, the Lesco field officials send him inflated bills after wrong reading, reading at odd times or taking reading on dates other than the fixed ones.

“Before Eid, our meter reader was supposed to take reading but he didn’t come. Finally, when he came after Eid, it was time when the number of units increased due to use of AC during Eid holidays. So it led to increased bills due to the change of slabs. This also caused an increase in the taxes being charged on bills,” he explained. “Had he taken reading before Eid, the amount of bill would have decreased,” he adds.

Talking to Dawn, an official source termed the average billing as one of the major sources of corruption not only in Lesco but also in power distribution companies. “This is the way through which the Discos cover the technical and commercial line losses, power theft etc. When there will be no replacement of faulty meters for months, the practice to fleece the customers through average billing will continue,” the official, requesting anonymity, explains.

About the suspended officials of the Kahna subdivision, a spokesperson for the company said the administration, in light of an inquiry report, found meter inspector Aftab Ahmad and meter reader Tufail Ahmad guilty.

“We have also corrected the inflated bills reported by the complainants,” said the spokesperson in a press release.

Lesco Board of Directors (BoD) Chairman and chief executive officer were not available for comments.

NTDC: The National Transmission & Despatch Company (NTDC) has acquired 736 kanal 13 marla land for construction of a 500kV grid station located in tehsil Daska, district Sialkot at the cost of Rs337m.

The award of the land, under Section-11 of the Land Acquisition Act 1894, was issued on Monday by the land acquisition collector of the NTDC.

According to a spokesman, the project will comprise 2x750 MVA 500/220 kV auto-transformers and 3x250 MVA 220/132 kV transformers, which will be connected to the national grid through one 500kV and two 220kV transmission lines.

With a total estimated cost of Rs31.8bn, the PC-I of the project has already been approved. The funding for this project will be provided through AFD financing from the French Development Agency. The construction of the 500kV grid station in Sialkot is aimed at improving the voltage profile, eradicating loadshedding and facilitating the evacuation of power from cost-effective hydel power plants in the north to the load centres of Punjab in the future.

Moreover, the project will contribute to reduce loading in the 220 kV & 132 kV system and improve the power supply position of the Gujranwala Electric Power Company (Gepco).

LDA: In an operation, the LDA teams sealed a known fast food restaurant on New Defence Road (DHA Rahbar) and other properties for not paying commercialisation fee, according to a spokesman.

On the other hand, the Lahore waste Management Company has accelerated its dengue surveillance drive in the city, said a spokesman for the company.

Published in Dawn, July 11th, 2023