ISLAMABAD: The government has deputed officers of the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) — formerly the most influential district management group (DMG) — to all distribution companies (Discos) of ex-Wapda to combat power theft and improve recoveries.

Discos would soon also be reinforced with officers from investigation agencies, particularly the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

According to a notification issued by the Establishment Division, 10 PAS officers of Grade 17 have been posted to each of the 10 Discos for an initial period of 60 days. They will sit with the chief executive officers of all Discos and assist them in improving the administrative structure, besides monitoring, supervising and coordinating in data collection and analysis.

These assistant commissioners are expected to keep the federal government posted on the ground situation, particularly during ongoing campaigns.

Provincial govts to bear salaries, allowances; Discos to arrange lodging, transport facilities

This is the first time that DMG officers have been deputed to the power companies in bulk and investigation officers would join later, although all the Discos, Wapda and other power companies, including generation firms and even K-Electric (formerly KESC), had been directly run by military units led by generals in uniform in the late 1990s.

Selected and skeleton deputation may also again follow in due course and fill the missing gaps to give a message of firmness and a whole-of-the-government push.

The respective provincial governments would continue to bear the financial cost — salaries, other allowances, etc. — of these officers, while lodging, boarding and transport facilities would be the responsibility of the respective Discos operating under the power division.

These assistant commissioners have been “directed to report respective Discos…for 60 days on attachment basis as a special duty, with immediate effect”, according to the combined notification sent to 10 officers.

The provincial governments and Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration have also been asked to “relieve these officers immediately with the direction to report to the Disco concerned within 48 hours”.

A senior government official said the PAS officers would remain dedicated to the Discos for two months and give the federal government, particularly the power division, a second view of the market. In the coming days, dedicated officers from the FIA will also join them to support Discos and the federal government in the investigation, preparation and registration of cases against employees and consumers of tainted repute and performance.

The 60-day period would commence with effect from the date of reporting to respective Discos and these officers would report back to their places of posting after the expiry of this period, the notification said. Salaries and travelling and daily allowances (TA/DAs) of these officers during the period of attachment would be borne by the respective provincial governments and ICT as they are not being transferred from their current places of posting.

Rs589bn losses

Separately, the power division has directed the relevant Discos and the quarters concerned to ensure the provision of adequate lodging and transport facilities to these officers during the period of attachment.

The government has recently said over Rs589 billion worth of losses in Discos were taking place annually because of electricity theft and low recoveries and had started a crackdown on the menace as the consumers have started protests across the country over backbreaking electricity rates.

Published in Dawn, September 29th, 2023