CM orders action against power pilferers.

LAHORE -- A high-level meeting was held here Tuesday with Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar in the chair.

Minister for Power Umer Ayub Khan also attended the meeting. The meeting took a detailed review of future strategy of the Punjab province with regard to prime minister's campaign for stopping electricity theft.

It decided to constitute chief minister's task force for stopping electricity theft in Punjab. The meeting decided action in the first phase against industrial, commercial and big domestic users. The secretary level officers will head the provincial task force while special committees will also be constituted at divisional and district levels.

Commissioners and deputy commissioners will lead the divisional and district level committees respectively and divisional and district police officers will also be included in special committees.

Addressing the meeting, the chief minister said that indiscriminate action would be initiated for stopping electricity pilferage and big fish would be apprehended first during the campaign. He said, action would be initiated against the government staff providing discreet support in the electricity pilferage and no political association or pressure would be taken care of.

He said that launch of campaign for stopping electricity theft by the Prime Minister Imran Khan was a welcome step and the Punjab government would fully take part in the national campaign.

Federal Minister Umer Ayub Khan said that losses to the tune of Rs 300 billion were being occurred due to electricity theft or other technical instances every year.

"We are moving towards using the latest technology to overcome the menace of electricity theft," he said and added that everybody would have to work jointly to make this campaign a success.

Chief Secretary Punjab, Federal Secretary Power, Additional IG, ACS (Energy), CEO LESCO and secretaries of the departments concerned also attended the meeting.