LESCO takes it out on KEMU

• Bills KEMU with excess 500,000 electricity units in one month, charges line rent for burnt out meters

The ‘merciless’ LESCO officials have not even spared the prestigious King Edward Medical University (KEMU) from what has now become a ‘standard operating procedure’ for them, with access billing of 500,000 units in only one month, Pakistan Today has learnt.

The LESCO officials are not even willing to counter check the irregularity pointed out by the KEMU administration in a series of letters written to them. The letters, a copy of which is available with Pakistan Today, clearly mentions the access billing on 17 electricity meters installed in the KEMU. Interestingly, LESCO authorities are also charging bills and line rent for four meters which are burnt.

KEMU gets power from Anarkali, Lady Aitchison and McLeod Road feeders for uninterrupted supply. All these feeders include both residential and commercial areas. The scandal was raised last September as well, but no action was initiated by LESCO authorities.

YDA General Secretary Dr Salmaan Kazmi said the entire hierarchy of LESCO officials including XEN and SDO were involved in the scam and were swindling students’ money with impunity.

“Two meters in girls’ hostel, one each outside the forensic and pharmacology departments are burnt, but LESCO is still adjusting units against these meters to make up for power theft in the adjoining areas, only because they know this is public money and no one will care,” he said, adding that the case will be sent to FIA for enquiry because LESCO officials are not taking it seriously.

Kazmi feared that the officials will replace the meters overnight and pretend they were never burnt. The complaint has been submitted with chairman LESCO who was out of province. One of the letters with the subject ‘rectification of access billing’ clearly refers to access billing against every single meter, pointing out the difference of units sent in the bill and on the meter. The “irregularity” has been there since last year, with letters written by former acting vice chancellor as well.

KEMU Vice Chancellor Dr Faisal Masood said, “We have written to the LESCO authorities to make it binding on the meter reader to note the reading in front of the university authorities, something which they are not complying with so far. This is my poor students’ money and I won’t let LESCO authorities take it away like this,” adding that if LESCO authorities do not comply with the request in a few days, the KEMU administration will get a third party evaluation and sue LESCO.

LESCO spokesperson Major Aurengzaib however said the matter has come to the attention of the higher authorities and hence action must be taken. “Usually the concerned XEN or SDO visit the spot if such a complaint is launched. It makes no sense how such a large scale irregularity is going unnoticed,” he added.