Islamabad: The Federal Minister for Power, Sardar Awais Ahmed Leghari, addressed the Chairmen and Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of Power Distribution Companies (Discos) through a video link. The focus of the discussion centered on combating electricity theft, which the Minister referred to as a form of economic terrorism that has severely impacted the country’s economy.
Minister Leghari emphasized the urgent need to address electricity theft, citing its detrimental effects on the national economy. He encouraged officials of Discos to leverage technology and innovation in their efforts to eradicate power theft. The objective is to curtail indiscriminate power outages, especially to consumers who diligently pay their bills. The Minister declared that all obstacles hindering efforts to prevent electricity theft must be removed. He warned that employees and officers involved in such illegal activities would be dealt with firmly and decisively.
Additionally, Minister Leghari made it clear that there would be no political interference in the campaign against electricity theft. He stressed that decisions would be made based on merit, ensuring a transparent and impartial approach.
The Federal Minister issued instructions to all Discos to establish modern customer service centers nationwide. The Minister also directed the appointment of competent officers to ensure the timely resolution of customer complaints.
Furthermore, the Minister issued a directive emphasizing the importance of kindness towards consumers and stated that any mistreatment of consumers, especially regarding the installation of new electricity connections, would not be tolerated. Minister instructed the authorities to follow the policy of “customer is always right”
Additionally, the Federal Minister has mandated the Management of Distribution Companies (Discos) to uphold the utmost diligence in keeping all financial records up-to-date and to meticulously compile detailed information pertaining to the company’s assets. This approach aims to streamline the concession/privatization process as per government decisions.
