ISLAMABAD-Showing serious concern over the inaction of the XWDiscos against power theft, the NA panel on energy has noted that current action against electricity theft is equal to non-action.
The NA Committee on Energy (Power Division), which met under the chairmanship of Sardar Riaz Mehmood Khan Mazari, has directed the Power Division to take immediate action against power theft.
While briefing the committee, it was informed that 55000 complaints of electricity theft were received during one year. According to available data, 20000 thousand FIRs were registered, while 528 people were arrested on the issue of electricity theft, it was added.
However, the committee was of the view that the performance of XWDiscos is not satisfactory. Due to power theft, the circular debt is increasing, an official of the Power Division said. To cover the power losses the government has to increase the tariff, he said.
The official said that non-cooperation of the local administration is also a big challenge and hurdle in controlling the theft. It was informed that work is in progress on the privatization of DISCOs or handing them over to the provinces.
In the high losses areas, an option is under consideration that instead of shutting down the entire feeders, power shutdown will be carried on the concerned transformers. The Standing Committee further directed Power Division to mediate and get the issue of Energizing of 11 KV Barrage Feeder from 132kv/11kv switch yard, Guddu resolved within one week. 
The Committee expressed its concern over the lingering issue of energizing the feeder which was badly affecting the people of the area and their livelihoods. 
The chief executive officer of Central Power Generation Company Guddu apprised the Committee that the company was a power generation company and not the distribution company therefore distribution of power was not its mandate. He proposed that the Sukkur Electric Power Company should take the possession of the grid station and energies the feeder. The chief executive officer SEPCO apprised the Committee that the company management of GENCO-II was approached to energize the affected barrage feeder by its resources and shift required equipment however the permission was refused on the pretext of overloading of corresponding power transformer. 
Minister for IPC Ehsaan Mazari, participating in the meeting on special permission by the Committee, apprised that he had approached the GENCO management to resolve the issue but no one paid heed to his repeated requests. He said that people of the area were ultimate sufferers in the feud between both the government entities. 
The Committee, while discussing the issue of unannounced loadshedding and issues of low power voltage, directed the ministry to ensure compliance of all obligations by the power distribution companies towards their consumers. The Power Division was also asked to ensure that no area in the country was subjected to power outages and low voltage. The Committee also directed Power Division to sort out the power outage issue in areas adjacent to Tarbela Dam as pointed out by one of the members of the Committee.