Pakistan Electric Power Company (PEPCO) has revealed billions of rupees losses in various power distribution companies (DISCOs) in monthly progress review meeting.

A detailed review meeting of the performance of all Distribution Companies held for the month of December 2017, said a press release. 

The progress of implementation of the development schemes under the Phase-I of the Sustainable Development Goals was satisfactory.

Despite, a larger number of schemes in Multan Electric Power Company (MEPCO) and Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (FESCO) i.e. 3646 and 1595 schemes respectively had achieved the targeted timelines, the press release said.

All DISCOs except Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO), Sukkur Electric Power Company (SEPCO) and Quetta Electric Supply Company (QESCO) have achieved the targets for picture-based meter reading for the domestic and commercial consumers. 

In the drive for acquiring mobile phone numbers of all consumers MEPCO, IESCO & FESCO were the top three DISCOs with more than 90 per cent consumer mobile numbers in their database. 

Performance of HESCO and SEPCO was not encouraging with less than 24 per cent consumer mobile numbers acquired till Dec. 2017. 

PESCO and QESCO were the worst since both could not acquire the mobile numbers of even 2 per cent of their total consumers. 

The drive to obtain mobile numbers was started so that consumers could be sent real time SMS regarding meter reading, status of fault at their feeder etc.           

FESCO was the best among all DISCOs regarding no delay in implementation of its billing schedule closely followed by MEPCO. 

PESCO and QESCO were the worst with maximum delays of 11 days and 7 days in one of their batches respectively.

In terms of accuracy of meter reading, FESCO and MEPCO were the best with mistakes of only 0.96% and 5.94% respectively, followed by GEPCO and HESCO. 

Worst performers were PESCO and LESCO with mistakes as high as 29.42% and 26.6% respectively.

Both PESCO and QESCO remained worst performers on the basis of financial loss calculated by PITC through AT&C loss for the said period. 

It is estimated that PESCO under CEO Mr. Shabbir Ahmed Gilani has incurred a loss of Rs.5.828 billion while QESCO under Mr. Rehmatullah Baloch has incurred loss of Rs.5.829 billion.

In PESCO area, the highest loss of Rs.1.641 billion was incurred by Bannu Circle under the S.E Mr. Noor Ullah Khan.The worst Divisions were Karak and Bannu-I under XENs Mr. Fazal-e-Rabbi and Mr. Zaman Khan with respective losses of Rs.230 million and Rs.158 million.

At the sub-divisional level, the worst were Mattani sub-division under SDO Mr. Fazal-e-Malik with a loss of Rs.133.12 million, Doaba under SDO Mr. Sajid Bahadur with a loss of Rs.87.28 million and Bannu Rural-I under SDO Mr. Muhammad Atif and Mr. Murad Ali with Rs.64.26 million.

In QESCO, the highest loss was incurred by Makran CIR Circle under the S.E Mr. Iqbal Breach with a loss of Rs.456.69 million. 

The worst Divisions were Sibbi and Turbat under XENs Mr. Azizullah Rind and Mr. Bangul Khan Marri with respective losses of Rs.254.6 million and Rs.250.34 million. At the sub-divisional level, the worst were Sui sub-division under SDO Mr. Abdul Hameed Bugti with a loss of Rs.87 million, Lehri under SDO Mr. Hussain Bukhsh with a loss of Rs.71.56 million and Harnai under SDO Mr. Daud Khan with Rs.60.9 million.

In Punjab, Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO’s) performance was the worst with a total loss of Rs.2.136 billion during Dec. 2017 under CEO Mr. Wajid Kazmi. 

Its worst Circle was Kasur under S.Es Mr. Mushtaq Ali Qamar and Mr. Rustam Ali with a loss of Rs.364.569 million. 

The worst two Divisions were Kasur Rural and Kot Radha Kishan under XENs Mr. Muhammad Ashfaq and Mr. Aman Ullah Sh. with loss of Rs.95.3 million and Rs.34.3 million.

At the lowest tier, sub-division Rural Area Kasur under Acting SDO Mr. Amjad Hussain, Elah Abad West under Acting SDO Mr. Abdul Rashid Watto and Hallah under acting SDO Mr.Muhammad Hamid Raza incurred loss of Rs.30.5 million, Rs.23.45 million and Rs.16.55 million respectively.

The worst performing CEO’s and SEs in each DISCO have been issued letters of explanation with direction to respond within 14 days. 

Similarly, all CEOs have been directed to take strong disciplinary actions against respective subordinates as well ensure to undertake whatever it entails under rules to arrest this unsustainable quantum of loss and addition to the circular debt.