LAHORE: In a bid to provide relief to both industrial and domestic consumers, the Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) has decided to introduce online application system for new connections from next year.
Talking to the participants of a meeting at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry, LESCO Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Wajid Ali Kazmi pledged total commitment to purge the company of all ills, including power theft, power breakdowns and corruption.
The LESCO CEO said that the online application system for new connections would not only make the process very easy but also abolish human links.
He said that initially this system would be started from general consumer in around 191 sub-divisions.
He said that line losses were being reduced, while recovery was getting better. He said that LESCO had set a target to bring the line losses to single digit. He said that mobile meter reading had helped reduce line losses. “Soon, big consumers would also come in this setup and a new software is being introduced in this regard.”
He said that LESCO was contributing 25 percent share to the total revenue generated by distributions companies.
He said that 0.7 million new meters were being purchased and 180,000 out-of-order meters would be replaced with new ones.
The CEO said that the power transmission system was being upgraded to avoid untoward incidents. He said that the sub divisional officers (SDOs) of all divisions had been given the task to identify and rectify almost 50 points where the system needed to be repaired. He said that transformers of heavy capacity had aksi been installed to get rid of the overloading issue.
“Load shedding-free era would be started by the end of 2017, as 10,000MW of electricity would be inducted in the system,” he said. He called for conserving energy, saying that saving one megawatt was much cheaper than its generation.
LCCI President Abdul Basit said that the situation of power supply was far better and the industry was getting almost uninterrupted electricity, but its high prices should be brought down. He said that line losses and electricity theft were major reasons of the energy crisis; therefore, line losses should be brought down to single digit from the existing 14 percent. He said that electricity theft should be stopped through latest technology and strict action be taken against LESCO staff involved in electricity theft.
He said that generation of one megawatt of electricity required at least $1 million. “We cannot afford wastage of electricity or its theft.”
Abdul Basit said that though over-billing had been reduced after mobile meter reading, a lot of work had to be done. He said that the circle of mobile meter reading should be enhanced, while timely reading of meters should also be ensured. He also called for separation of industrial and domestic feeders. He said that haphazard power supply system in the market could cause untoward incident, so it should be replaced on war footing.
LCCI Vice President Muhammad Nasir Hameed Khan urged the LESCO CEO to have monthly meeting with the representatives of the LCCI. He said that a committee formed in the past having the representatives of LESCO and LCCI should be activated.
Former LCCI Vice President Syed Mahmood Ghaznavi, Executive Committee members Mian Abdul Razzaq, Mian Zahid Javed, Mian Muhammad Nawaz, Muhammad Arshad Chaudhry, Moazzam Rasheed and Syed Mukhtar Ali, and renowned businessman Mian Azizur Rehman Chan were also present in the meeting.
