KARACHI, Jan 6: Karachi Electric Supply Company has welcomed the promulgation of the long-awaited amendments to Criminal Law which proclaimed electricity theft a non-bailable crime allowing arrest without warrant, with punishments up to three years rigorous imprisonment and fines up to Rs 10 million.
KESC said the law would not only reduce line losses but would help bring down load shedding to minimum and would also provide strong basis for maintaining low tariff for end consumers. While expressing thankfulness to the Government over the move, KESC demanded early establishment of Electricity Utility Courts and formulation of required mechanism as envisaged under the Ordinance promulgated from Jan 1 so as to enable its immediate execution.
KESC has forcefully been advocating the case against electricity theft since 2009 and has made the loudest demands for strict laws against the crime. Through its own drive against the menace of illegal use of electricity, KESC succeeded to reduce its line losses drastically, from 35.9% of June 2009 to 27.8% in the year 2012-2013, registering a remarkable decline of 8.1%. As a continuing process, KESC has regularly been taking action against electricity thieves despite the fact that many times its teams faced violent response.
KESC expressed satisfaction over the fact that the law had proclaimed strict punishments including rigorous imprisonment for 3 years or fine up to Rs 10 million or both for tampering with transmission lines; rigorous imprisonment for three years or fine up to Rs 3 million or both for tampering with distribution network or auxiliary; imprisonment up to two year or fine up to Rs 1 million or both for interference, improper use or tampering with electric meter by domestic consumer; imprisonment for three years or fine up to Rs 6 million or both for interference, improper use or tampering with electric meter by industrial or commercial consumer; imprisonment for two years or fine up to Rs 2.5 million or both for interference, improper use or tampering with electric meter by agricultural consumer; and, rigorous imprisonment up to 7 years with fine not less than Rs 3 million for damaging or destroying the transmission lines, distribution lines, electric meters etc.
KESC said the much needed law would make absolutely positive impact over the current dismal state of economy faced by energy sector in the country. The constructive law would help bring down the huge losses faced by the power sector in the country which would pave the way for economic turnaround of deficit-ridden electricity distribution companies. KESC would fully utilize this productive law up to the maximum benefit of 20 million population of Karachi.