FAISALABAD  -  The Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (FESCO) imposed Rs 389.4 million fine on 3,084 elec­tricity thieves, caught during the last 43 days of anti-power-theft campaign in the region.

A spokesman Tahir Sheikh said here on Saturday that FESCO had launched a vigorous anti-theft drive on special direction of Min­ister of Energy (Power Division) and during 43 days of this cam­paign the anti-theft teams of the company caught 3084 power pil­ferers from its eight districts. 

The company had imposed a to­tal fine of Rs.389.4 million on the pilferers under the head of detec­tion units of 8.533 million in ad­dition to recovering Rs.209.6 mil­lion recovered from them. FESCO had also got cases registered against 2959 accused whereas the police had arrested 2437 electric­ity thieves so far, he added. Giving further details, he said that the FESCO teams continued checking of power pilferage round the clock and caught 39 electricity thieves during last 24 hours who were stealing electricity through vari­ous modes including direct sup­ply. The company had imposed a fine of more than Rs.5.516 mil­lion on these electricity thieves in respect of more than 139,000 de­tection units. He said that in Fais­alabad district, up till now, 1018 electricity thieves were caught and handed down with a fine of more than Rs.129 million under 2.773 million detection units. 

He said that 305 electric­ity thieves were caught in Jhang district so far and fined more than 1125,000 detection units amounting to more than Rs.47.5 million. Similarly, 321 electricity thieves were caught from Bhakkar and handed down with a fine of 827,000 detection units amount­ing to Rs.42.2 million. In Chiniot district, 346 electricity thieves were handed down with more than 1054,000 detection units amount­ing to Rs.43.1 million. Meanwhile, more than 331,000 detection units amounting to Rs.15.5 million was imposed on 96 electricity thieves caught from Khushab district. In Mianwali district, 372 electric­ity thieves were caught and more than 837,000 detection units amounting to Rs.38.4 million were imposed on them as fine.