LAHORE - After getting a fresh and strict warning from Water and Power Ministry to improve to improve the performance, the Lesco top hierarchy Wednesday rushed to disconnect electricity supply to dozens of government departments which owed more than Rs100 million to the company in terms of electricity bills.
The ministry had warned the Lahore Electric Supply Company Chief Executive Arshad Rafique to improve situation at the company otherwise direct action would be taken against him.
The Lesco, which is considered the most efficient power distribution company of the country, is in routine exercise for sending excessive and wrong bills to its consumers. The company’s XENs and SDOs, whose cell numbers are mentioned on electricity bills, never bother to listen to consumers’ problems. The company also failed to bring down line losses and making recoveries from big defaulters. The former two chiefs of the company as well as the current one were given charge on ad hoc and on pick and choose basis therefore they could not bring any considerable improvement in the Lesco.
“One can see dozens of consumers every day at the offices of XENs and SDOs for correction of their bills. Almost every 20th bill of the Lesco is a wrong bill,” said a company official seeking anonymity.
A consumer, Lala Rukh of Walton area, said that she made dozens of calls to the SDO concerned and even the SE of the circle for the removal of a fault in electricity supply to her rented home but none of the company resolved the issue ven after five days. Another Lesco consumer, Farrukh of Samanabad division, has the same complaints against the Lesco. One can see dozens of consumers from 9am to 5pm in a queue wasting their time and energy at main complaint cell at Lesco headquarters for the correction of their electricity bills.
On Wednesday, the Lesco Shalimar division disconnected three supplies of the Railways over non-payment of more than Rs5.5 million, two supplies of Ring Road over non-payment of more than Rs1.1 million, six supplies of Irrigation and Power department over non-payment of around Rs4 million, GE Army over Rs2.7 million, Fisheries over Rs0.35 million, Customs over Rs3.3 million, Short Circuit Lab over Rs0.17 million and Games Wardon over Rs1.27 million. XEN Ring Road disconnected supply of various consumers over non-payment of Rs17 million. Supply to PHA was disconnected over non-payment of Rs0.75 million, City District over Rs56 million and Archaeology over Rs23 million. In Mughalpura division, the supply of the office of Executive Engineer was disconnected over non-payment of Rs0.13 million, Senior Engineer Construction LDA over Rs2.1 million, Assistant Director Water Supply over Rs38096, Chief Engineer TEPA over Rs0.4 million. Similarly, the company disconnected supply to some 34 government offices including police stations, schools and others over total non-payment of more than Rs24 million. Electricity supply to TMA Nishter disconnected over non-payment of Rs17 million, TMA Gulberg over Rs30 million, TMA Iqbal Town over Rs8.27 million and PHA over Rs1.2 million.