Electricity theft: Rs3 billion stolen by employees of DISCOs themselves

ISLAMABAD: HUM Investigation Team (HIT) has found out that around 101 officials of the distribution companies were responsible for electricity theft worth Rs3 billion.

Earlier, it was found that Rs470 billion worth of electricity was stolen across the country in the last 14 months, but things took a different turn when the power ministry found that employees of the electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOs) themselves usurped a big chunk of it.

422 employees of the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO) were involved in electricity theft, while 124 of Multan Electric Supply Company (MESCO), 118 of Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO), 44 of Faisalabad Supply Company (FESCO) and around 60 employees of Islamabad, tribal areas, and Sukkur Electric Supply Companies were caught stealing electricity.

Out of the total, 251 officials and employees have been sacked from their jobs in these cases, documents reveal.

A proposal has been made by authorities to amend the laws around penalties for electricity theft, while inquiries against the employees involved stealing the electricity were still ongoing.