KP Task Force Against Power Defaulters Recovers Rs 4bn

The provincial task force formed for the recovery of dues from defaulted electricity consumers and stoppage of illegal use of electricity in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has recovered more than Rs 4 billion in a short period of 2 months and also imposed a fine of Rs 240 million on power pilferers

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th Nov, 2023) The provincial task force formed for the recovery of dues from defaulted electricity consumers and stoppage of illegal use of electricity in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has recovered more than Rs 4 billion in a short period of 2 months and also imposed a fine of Rs 240 million on power pilferers.

In light of the successful campaign, the period of load-shedding in many areas has also been reduced. After Mardan, the provincial capital Peshawar would be made a load-shedding-free model city in the next two months.

A plan has also been prepared to speed up the ongoing operation in Peshawar city. For this purpose, various teams comprising of district administration, police force and PESCO are engaged in conducting operations in illegal housing societies, residential areas inside and outside the city, important commercial centres, factories, streets and markets.

The fifth meeting of the Provincial Task Force on Power was held here on Tuesday with Additional Chief Secretary of Home & Tribal Affairs, Abid Majeed. in the chair. Besides, Divisional Commissioners, Regional Police Officers, Secretary Energy & Power Nisar Ahmad Khan and a representative officer of the Industries Department, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) PESCO Qazi Tahir also attended.

The meeting was informed that during the ongoing crackdown in different districts of the province from September 5 till now, in a short period of 2 months, the task force conducted more than 24,574 raids, where more than 36,246 mafia involved in kunda culture, including large commercial and residential consumers involved in illegal use of electricity, their connections disconnected.

Furthermore, cases have been registered against more than 11,452 accused in police stations and 685 accused have been arrested.

Chairman Task Force Muhammad Abid Majeed expressed that an intelligence-based operation would be carried out for recovery from the power pilferers of defaulting feeders.

He emphasized that simple procedures for the provision of a metering system amongst the general public should be encouraged. The operation against big fish should be accelerated at the commercial level. In addition to this, the recovery against non-paying consumers in Banu, Kohat, DI Khan and Mardan divisions, operation should be expedited.

In order to make Peshawar as load shedding free model city after Mardan, Commissioner Peshawar Zubair Khan and CCPO Dr. Ashfaq Anwar expressed a plan of action for the ongoing campaign while the CEO of PESCO directed to present photographic and personal witnesses at the time of registering FIR/Maraslas against the culprits.

At the end, the head of the task force set targets during the ongoing campaign including speeding up operations in soft areas as well as hard areas in Peshawar.

He urged all the officers to devote their maximum energies to achieving targeted goals and expressed satisfaction over the recovery of billions of rupees in the ongoing campaign so far.