LAHORE: The Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) on Wednesday unearthed 442 connections in its all circles -- Lahore, Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib, Kasur and Okara.

A spokesperson for Lesco said the company had also submitted FIR applications against 439 electricity thieves, out of which 269 FIRs had been registered, while 57 people had been arrested.

On the 21st day of the campaign, the spokesman said large agricultural and commercial consumers were also found involved in electricity theft and all of them were also disconnected and charged with detection units. Among the seized connections were: one industrial, 12 commercial, and 429 domestic. These connections were disconnected and charged with a total of 727,091 units as detection bill amounting to Rs37.283 million.

Lesco charged Rs1.2m as detection bill to an electricity pilferer in Ferozwala area, a Rs500,000 fine in the form of detection bill to another customer in Aziz Colony on Wandala Road, a Rs500,000 fine to a bakery on Wandala Road, and Rs480,298 as detection bill to an electricity thief at Jambar Mor.

During the 21 days of grand anti-theft campaign, the spokesman mentioned the Lesco detected pilferage on 8,832 power connections and submitted 8,727 FIR applications against electricity thieves, out of which 7,417 FIRs have been registered, while 1,240 accused have so far been arrested by the police. Lesco has charged 19,351,136 detection units from power pilferers.

PFA: The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) has unearthed a fake beverages manufacturing unit producing carbonated drinks of different popular brands in Bara Marada village on Sharaqpur Road.

The authority discarded 6,000 litres of spurious carbonated drinks, 4,350 empty bottles, 3,000 lids, 250 litres of syrup, 180kg of prohibited ingredients and 75kg counterfeit packing material during the raid.

The authority also confiscated 12 cylinders, three filling machines and a generator.

PFA Director General Raja Jahangir said the authority also filed an FIR against the factory owners on account of adulteration and forgery, while handing over two accused arrested from the spot to the area police.

Published in Dawn, September 28th, 2023