ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed that a strategy should be prepared to reduce the power sector’s line losses and up-gradation of transmission lines.
While presiding over an important review meeting regarding the prevention of electricity theft on Thursday, he directed to initiate the privatisation process of those power generation companies, which are a burden on the national exchequer.
The premier also instructed to make a complete plan regarding solarisation of tube-wells in Balochistan and submit a report in this regard.
The meeting decided to start work on the project of installing smart meters on transformers under the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP).
The meeting also decided that feeder monitors will be installed on the feeders where electricity losses are relatively higher. The prime minister said that it is the responsibility of the government to create a stable system through measures like campaign to prevent electricity theft.
The prime minister strictly instructed that disciplinary action should be initiated against such officers who are involved in electricity theft and facilitation in this regard. He said that those who have caused the losses of billions of dollars to the country will be punished.
The meeting was given a detailed briefing regarding the anti-electricity theft campaign and was informed that the load shedding hours are less in those areas where electricity theft is low.
The meeting was further informed that Section 462 (O) of the Pakistan Penal Code has been amended through an Ordinance, after which electricity theft is now a cognisable police offence. The meeting was also informed that due to the anti-electricity theft campaign launched in September last year, the rate of electricity theft has significantly decreased and Rs57 billion has been recovered since September 2023.
The meeting was informed that a whole-of-government approach was adopted in several anti-power theft campaigns to make the campaign effective.
As a result of operations under the anti-electricity theft campaign, 45,777 arrests have been made in Punjab, 1,250 in Sindh, 5,121 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and 181 in Balochistan. During the campaign, 350 officials of distribution companies were suspended for poor performance or facilitation.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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