LAHORE  -  Keeping in view the huge outstand­ing dues amounting to Rs. 15.323 billion [Rs. 15,323,307,899] of the government departments, Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Engi­neer Shahid Haider has widened the scope of recovery from the govern­ment departments.

A LESCO spokesman told the me­dia here on Monday that the com­pany had started recovery from pri­vate sector’s chronic defaulters of various categories in all its circles over the last six days. And now the company has also issued a list of de­faulting government institutions, he added. The CEO tasked the LES­CO’s relevant officers to ensure re­covery from public sector depart­ments in accordance with the given list and also take all necessary steps in this regard, he added. According to the list, issued by LESCO, he men­tioned, the WASA Lahore (Water and Sanitation Authority) is the default­er of Rs. 7,679,880,169; Town Mu­nicipal Authority Rs. 3,639,877,581; Punjab Irrigation and Power Depart­ment Rs. 596,053,127; Pakistan Rail­ways Rs. 532,982,792; Lahore Ring Road Authority Rs. 500,229,120; City District Government of Lahore Rs. 495,962,968; Punjab Health Depart­ment Rs. 424,446,903, Punjab Police Department Rs. 439,487,631; District Government of Kasur Rs 349,929,974; LDA (Lahore Development Authori­ty Rs. 324,243,293; Services Hospital Lahore Rs. 168,739,636; and Univer­sity of the Punjab Rs. 167,474,005.

Meanwhile, a group of lawyers allegedly subjected an official of the Lahore Electric Supply Com­pany (LESCO) to severe torture on the court premises in Nankana Sa­hib district. According to a LESCO spokesman, Muhammad Aslam, a lineman, was going to appear in the court of Additional Sessions Judge Huma Ambrin as a witness in an electricity theft case in Nankana Cir­cle. At the court door, lawyers name­ly Muhammad Umar Tarar, Bilal Tarar and Mansoor Ashraf alleged­ly surrounded him and started call­ing him names. Later, they allegedly subjected Muhammad Aslam to tor­ture and inflicted serious injuries to him. The accused also allegedly threatened to kill the LESCO official. Meanwhile, Muhammad Aslam’s col­leagues, who were also there, called in the police on helpline 15, who res­cued the LESCO employee. 

On the request of the LESCO au­thorities, a case has also been regis­tered against the accused under the provisions of interference in govern­ment affairs and subjecting the offi­cial to violence.