LAHORE - Long queues of power consumers at the complaint centers of Lahore Electric Supply Company (Leco) have become a routine matter these days, as the company has sent extra-bills to all the consumers to generate maximum revenue. Sources said that the Lesco was given the task to generate extra revenue as the government has finalised its deals with the rental power plants, and according to the agreement, the new rental power plants would be paid huge amount in advance. We have been receiving countless complaints of over-billing every day here, an official of Lesco told this reporter, requesting his identity not be revealed. A complainant while arguing with the Lesco officials said that from June 19 to July I9 (meter reading date), he consumed 950 units while from July 19 to August 1, he consumed only 50 units. How possible it is? he asked. The complainants were of the view that every consumer has been charged 20 to 100 units extra, which is injustice with the innocent and inflation-stricken public. I have been visiting the complaint center of Lesco for the last three days but there is no one to redress the problem of over-billing. The officials have asked me that I would have to pay this bill even if some extra units have been added in the bill, Rahman Khan, a resident of Johar Town said. The Lahore Electric Supply Company has successfully managed to generate Rs 120 million extra by using this tactic of over-billing to its customers for the month of July, sources in the Lesco confided to The Nation on Tuesday. According to the official sources, LESCO has issued extra bills to all the domestic, commercial and industrial consumers for the month of July in which all the consumers have been charged 10 to 20 per cent extra units. They further said that all the consumers have been issued extra-bills irrespective of their consuming capacity. The meter readers were directed to charge 10 to 20 per cent extra units to collect maximum revenue, an official said, requesting his name not to be mentioned. It is also a useful tactic that would help cut burden on the consumers in future when the electricity tariff would be increased as they (consumers) have already been charged for the units, they would consume in future, he added. He further revealed that the government has given green signal to the authorities in this regard and this 'practice has been allowed only for the month of July and August, as the cash-strapped government has to pay huge amount in advance to the rental power plants. Advance charges mean advance payment to the rental power plants that would be added to the national system by the end of this year to overcome energy crisis, he maintained. For example, he said, if a consumer has consumed 690 units, the LESCO charged him with 730 units. The last 30 units mean that the consumer has been charged Rs 300 extra as the rate of each unit (above 700) for the domestic consumer is Rs 10. Sources said that the LESCO had given the target to its meter readers, asking them to send extra bills to the consumers as the government is in dire need to generate revenue to pay the advance to the new rental power plants. Meanwhile, the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry strong criticised the LESCO authorities of issuing excessive electricity bills to general consumers and demanded of the government to take corrective measures and help stop over billing that could create law and order situation. LCCI President Mian Muzaffar Ali, and Vice President Irfan Iqbal Sheikh said that they had received a number of complaints from the LCCI members regarding the excessive billing by Lesco that is bound to add to their problems as they had already been suffering due to fast increasing prices of daily use items. Chairman Pakistan Industrial and Traders Association Front (PIAF) Irfan Qaiser Sheikh said that the over-billing was being done to save the Pepco employees who were involved in power pilferage across the country. They said that at this point in time when the people were facing difficulties in meeting both the ends, the Lesco authorities are forcing them to spend sleepless nights by issuing excessive bills. It is worth mentioning here that Federal Minister for Water and Power Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said on Sunday that the rental power plants would help generate 1500 to 1600 MW of electricity by the end of this year.