Officials involved in power theft have no right to stay in service: Shahbaz Sharif

Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has said that the big fish involved in power and gas theft will not be spared as the elements involved in pilferage of national resources are committing a crime against the nation. He directed that the campaign against power and gas thieves be continued without succumbing to any pressure. He said that the scope of this drive should be extended to 36 districts of the province and a list of corrupt officers and staff involved in gas and electricity theft be presented to him within 48 hours.

He was presiding over a meeting of the taskforce on power and gas theft, here today. Inspector General Police, Chief Executive Officers of Sui Northern Gas and District Distribution Companies, Commissioner Lahore Division and authorities concerned were present.

Addressing the meeting, the Chief Minister said that gas and power theft is like cancer which must be treated at any cost. He said that gas and power thieves are responsible for load-shedding and the heavy financial burden on the common man in the form of utility bills. He said that gas and power theft is not possible without connivance of officers and staff of the concerned departments, therefore intelligence agencies should play their due role in identifying such elements so that stern action could be taken against them without any discrimination.

The Chief Minster said that the officials involved in theft of gas and electricity have no right to stay in service and must be removed. He also issued instructions for setting up a technical committee headed by expert engineers for case-to-case review of tempered meters of gas and electricity. He further said that third-party audit of tempered meters will also be conducted through Forensic Science Agency. He directed that a committee comprising competent, experienced and honest persons be set up at regional level for identifying the officers involved in power and gas theft and a list of such corrupt officers and staff be presented to him within 48 hours. He said that the persons pointing out power and gas theft will be encouraged and a system of reward and punishment be devised for this purpose. He said that identifying thieves is a national responsibility and the names of the persons pointing out such elements will be kept confidential.

The Chief Minister also issued instructions for establishing a special committee to evaluate performance of various distribution companies during the campaign and the ratio of recovery. He directed that law enforcement agencies should extend full cooperation to the taskforce. He further directed that Prosecutor General should personally follow the cases against power and gas thieves in courts. He also directed that a strategy be evolved as early as possible for including big houses and tube-wells in the campaign and this drive should be started from posh areas.

The Chief Minster ordered that other utility connections of the factories involved in theft should also be disconnected without any discrimination so that no one could loot national resources in future.

Earlier, Chairman Taskforce Irfan Ali while giving a briefing informed that drive against gas and power thieves is continuing in 14 districts of the province and gas and power theft of two billion 75 crore rupees has been detected so far. He said that 121 factory owners involved in gas theft have been arrested and 215 cases have been registered while 1377 cases have been registered against power thieves and 678 arrests have been made. Heads of various DISCOS and Sui Northern Gas Company gave details of the campaign against gas and power theft in the province. District Coordination Officers of various districts informed about the action taken against gas and power thieves in their respective areas.