One day standing in my gallery, I saw a couple of guys (when I say guys I mean, two bearded men, wearing namaz cap and shalwar above their takhnay, in short "mullas") climbing a ladder up the electricity pole right in front of my house. I asked them what the hell they are doing... Yes I asked them "Abay OOOO kia kar raha hai" they looked at me as if I commuted a sin or something by asking that... they replied "masjid ke liyay hai bhai sahab". I told them that you are going to "steal" something and then provide it in the mosque!!??? They kept quiet. I told them that I'm going to complain at KESC they smiled and said namazio ke liyay kar rahay hein yea!... I thought to myself... only if anyone here had a little sense!
The Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) has recently launched a campaign, titled “name and shame” against electricity theft, KESC CEO Naveed Ismail revealed at a press briefing on Saturday.
He further said that the KESC had requested the federal government to make electricity theft a non-bailable offence, as is the case in other countries.
“Instead of being ‘gentle’ with thieves as we have been in the initial few months, we shall now be pursuing an aggressive fight against electricity theft, and not only register criminal cases but also announce the names of the culprits in the media through statements and advertisements,” Ismail said.
He also pointed out that after a survey of the whole scenario, the KESC had reached the conclusion that electricity thieves were mainly from the “upper class”.
“Raids will be conducted against each and every power thief, whether big or small, ‘common’ or influential, with the help of the KESC’s police as well as the regular police and Rangers personnel,” Ismail said. He also requested the federal authorities to introduce an amendment into the Electricity Act of 1910 in order to make electricity theft a non-bailable offence.
KESC Chief of Distribution Jan Abbas Zaidi said that a total of 37 cases were lodged against quarters involved in electricity theft in the city, while seven people were arrested. Charge-sheets (Challans) for 18 cases have already been prepared while work is in progress on the remaining 19 cases. Seven high-profile cases were also revealed, including City Hospital, DMCHS, which stole power worth Rs3,856,321; Le’Cole School, DHA, which stole power worth Rs6,090,067; Hilltop Hotel KECHS, stealing Rs4,340,313; Askari Park near Old Sabzi Mandi, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, with Rs1,700,000; a shoe factory in PIB Colony, with Rs1,000,000; a plastic factory in Gulistan-e-Jauhar Block No. 4 stealing Rs900,000 worth of power; and Abid Masood Ice Factory, Korangi, with a total of Rs2,000,000.
Zaidi further said that the utility had received lots of calls from the general public under its “Speak-up” campaign, of which 52 per cent have proved to be true. A total of 47 cases have been registered against people involved in wire theft and 54 people had been arrested so far, Zaidi said.
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