Staff Reporter
Islamabad
The Senate Standing Committee on Power on Friday was apprised that over Rs.100 million has been recovered so far, out of Rs 239.366 million embezzlement detected in the billing department of Islamabad Electric Supply Company besides arresting four employees directly involved in the scam.
The committee which met with Senator Fida Muhammad in the Chair were briefed about the alleged embezzlement in IESCO billing department and demand, supply position of Tribal Electric Supply Company (TESCO) and Quetta Electric Supply Company (QESCO).
Briefing the Senate Panel, Chief Executive Officer IESCO Chaudhary Shahid Iqbal told that a fraud of Rs.43 million was detected on single day in the office of Customer Services Officer (CSO) Islamabad.
He said after detecting the embezzlement, five members committee has been set up to hold inquiry into the matter besides suspending 12 officials.
He said the committee has detected fraud worth Rs 239.366 million so far for the period from July 2017 to June 2019. The then CSO Islamabad Muhammad Naeem, commercial assistant Khalid Mahmood, Accounts Assistant Muhammad Rafique, sweeper Waqas Javed and a private person Gul Khitab were involved in the fraud, he added.
The CEO said that the matter was also referred to FIA for further investigation and FIRs had been lodged against the involved officials.
Additional Secretary Ministry of Power Division told the committee that CEOs of all power distribution companies (DISCOs) were directed to check and verified records of their companies.
Senator Nauman Wazir Khattak said such frauds could be controlled through digitization of whole bills collection system.
The CEO TESCO told the committee that all 66KV grid stations were being up-graded to 132KV in the tribal areas. Regarding power theft, he said four FIRs have been registered on 9th Muharram against power pilferers in Baka Khel.
The committee was further informed that QESCO losses have increased due to more power supply to the consumers particularly agri tube-wells. The committee suggested that losses could be controlled through switching these tube wells on solar energy.
The committee meeting was attended by senators Nauman Wazir Khattak, Molvi Faiz Muhammad and Dr Ghous Muhammad Khan Niazi, CEOs IESCO, TESCO and other senior officials.
