The Prime Minister’s Inspection Team has observed that WAPDA distribution companies (DISCOs) have installed new metres which run 30-35 per cent faster than the old ones. There has been great hue and cry all over the country regarding excessive billing and the people have been thronging the respective WAPDA offices for correction of their bills. But in return they could only get installments of their inflated bills not knowing that they would be paying extra surcharge of unpaid portion next month.
I for one have been going to the LESCO office regularly every month for the last two years for correction in my inflated bills. With my continuous protests I could only manage installation of a “Check Metre” which was an identical metre but they assured me that it was a tested metre. Since there was no difference in the consumed units on both the metres, I was told to pay the actual bill. The concerned XEN told me that there must be leakage of electricity in my house as I told them that I did not consume so many units vis a vis the reading on the bill. But they justified that the reading was correct as per the check metre. I got my wiring checked through a private electrician but nothing was wrong and there was no leakage.
As per the findings of the Inspection Team, all consumers who have new metres have been paying extra for the last 2-3 years and they must be compensated. The government is requested to order WAPDA’s DISCOs to reimburse the consumers the extra money they have paid on their bills. It may be mentioned here that it is not a new thing in WAPDA, they have been doing it since long to cover leakages and thefts. Once a technician of Syed Engineers, who were the main suppliers of metres to WAPDA, told me that metres were kept fast as per the instructions of WAPDA authorities. So a commission may be appointed to find out since when law abiding consumers are being fleeced in electricity bills and the enquiry should include the manufacturers of metres also.
MUHAMMAD AZHAR KHWAJA
Lahore
