- LESCO overcharges KEMU with one million units of electricity actually consumed illegally by Anarkali traders in connivance with LESCO officials
- Sources say LESCO officials replace metres after burdening varsity with excess billing
The Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) has overcharged King Edward Medical University (KEMU) with around a million units of electricity, allegedly distributing the same to the nearby Anarkali traders in deals conducted “under the table”, Pakistan Today has learnt.
Sources privy to the development revealed that the premier seat of medical learning has been facing this draconian practice at the hands of the power supplier for a couple of years now. The previous year, it was 500,000 units of overbilled electricity to KEMU, some of which was billed on burnt down meters.
However, since April this year, the overbilled units have been to the tune of one million units of electricity with 60,000 units only overbilled this month on two meters. The reference numbers for two meters are 24-11331-2403001 and 24-11331-2406201.
Documents show that KEMU has 21 meters in all and the LESCO officials overbill one meter or the other every month and the units keep on accumulating causing a loss of millions of rupees to the public exchequer.
The varsity high-ups have been running from pillar to post for the rectification of excess billing but in vain.
Documented correspondence between the customer service director, executive engineer, the director general and LESCO chief shows repeated complaints of excess billing to the tune of one million units, however it got no response from authorities.
Moreover, the excess billing also involves adjustment of surcharge, which is not applicable on government institutions.
LESCO TRIES BEST TO LEAVE NO PROOF:
“As per practice, the LESCO officials will keep on sending excess bills on various meters and the university will keep on complaining. However, after the bills accumulate to 200,000, for example, the officials will come during the break and take the meter with them, leaving no proof of their theft,” sources said.
“LESCO officials have been overbilling on normal meters and then replacing them with new ones to hide their corruption,” sources added, further alleging that it was part of their scam where they supply electricity to the traders of Anarkali as an “under the table” deal, while billing the amount on the nearby KEMU, simply because it’s a government institute and “no one really cares”.
EVIDENCE NOT LOST:
A senior KEMU official, on anonymity, said now the university administration has started taking photographs of meters with readings as proof because LESCO officials remove the meter.
“We have tried to take the matter to ‘very senior levels’ but no one actually budges and provides justice to the most prestigious seat of medical learning. If this is how they are dealing with a government institution, imagine what private consumers must be going through,” the official added.
Sources further alleged that it was only tip of the iceberg since KEMU is just one of the hundreds of government institutions and buildings in the city where the LESCO officials have been found overbilling.
A few days ago, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif took a notice of overbilling of electricity units across the country and ordered an audit of “each and every unit of electricity”.
Federal Information Minister Pervaiz Rasheed even vowed action against officials responsible for excess billing to consumers. The PM also announced instalments and adjustment on bills of consumers as per a scheme.
The LESCO spokespersons were not available for comments despite repeated attempts.
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