I believe massive power theft is one of the main reasons for load shedding and high electricity charges. PML-N has completely failed to control power theft. We all remember their leaders loudly and clearly promising to control power theft and putting an end to load shedding. It has been disappointing to see that the government did not take any action to catch power thieves. The concerned Ministers have only been making threatening headlines. Federal Minister of Water and Power, Khawaja Asif and Minister of State for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali have done nothing against these power thieves. The make believe disconnecting electricity of Prime Minister’s Secretariat, President House, Parliamentary Lodges and some other Federal government institutions on account of default was just to appease the nation. Soon after disconnection, the bills were paid and electricity was restored.
The respectable ministers of water and power claimed in their press conference that the electricity disconnection of government offices helped recover Rs.3. 2 billion. I would like to ask them how this will control power theft. Or should we assume that they were the thieves? They did not explain to the public why it took them 11 months to disconnect their own government departments’ electricity to recover unpaid bills. I believe unless government controls power theft it cannot resolve nation’s power woes. Even if government completes and brings additional thousands of megawatts into national grid there is no surety that it will end load shedding because there are no checks to ensure that the additional megawatts of power will not be stolen, resulting in higher circular debt, which will make government’s finances more messier.
EJAZ AHMAD MAGOON,
Lahore, May 3.