Dummy meter reading, photo billing: NA Deputy Speaker moves ahead to rescue Pesco officers from dismissal

Deputy Speaker National Assembly Murtaza Javed Abbasi on Tuesday came forward to rescue around a dozen officers of Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) stationed in Hazara Division, facing dismissal from service notices for alleged involvement in dummy meter reading and photo billing in nine Sub Divisions, causing massive financial loss to the national exchequer.
This was the crux of a meeting of National Assembly Standing Committee on Water and Power, presided over by Malik Ihtebar Khan in the absence of Chairman of the committee, Arshad Khan Leghari.
Deputy Speaker National Assembly attended the meeting as a special invitee to discuss grievances of various officers of Pesco serving in Hazara Division who had been served show cause notices for removal from service on account of poor/fake photo billing.
Deputy Speaker tried to pressurize the officials of Water and Power Ministry to exonerate Pesco officials, especially the XEN, who according to him was not personally involved in fake meter reading billing.
When the issue came under discussion, Secretary Water and Power, Younus Dagha, who has full backing of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif due to his untiring efforts to resolve the country's energy issue, informed the committee that when the government started mobile meter reading system in a few Discos, some of the dishonest employees of Discos started photo meter reading from their homes/offices. This practice was also witnessed in nine Sub Divisions of Hazara Division.
He said, initially, Discos expressed their appreciation for mobile meter reading unaware that the relevant officials had started dummy meter reading from homes/offices. It was detected by the inspection teams visiting the field. He requested Members of the Standing Committee not to support any official involved in dummy meter reading, saying "allow us to be strict with them."
Nawab Yousuf Talpur gave reference of his constituency where action was taken against SDO for dummy meter reading and fake billing instead of apprehending those who committed the crime. Chief Executive Officer Sepco informed the committee that action has also been taken against meter readers.
Deputy Speaker enquired about job description of SDOs and their role in fake billing, adding SDOs were not responsible for meter reading. However, Chief Executive Officer informed the committee that SDO was overall incharge of Sub Division and that 100 meter readers get a reading from around 0.5 million scattered consumers through mobile phones. He also showed dummy meters used for fake reading.
He said MD Pepco had issued show cause and removal from service notices to two XENs and nine SDOs in one day without hearing the concerned officials, adding that it was not acceptable.
He argued that action against XENs was wrong and in violation of rules, and threatened to move a privilege motion against the Managing Director Pepco, Omer Rasool, who, according to Deputy Speaker, rudely responded to him. He said if Secretary Water and Power and MD Pepco personally conducted meter reading of Hazara Division with existing staff he would resign within six months from the National Assembly's seat.
"XEN Zubair Kundi whose 36 ACRs are excellent has been terminated from service. Termination is totally illegal," he added. Deputy Speaker recommended that action should be taken against meter readers instead of SDOs and XENs.
Deputy Speaker claimed that he had given proof of corruption to CEO Pesco against a few employees but no action has been taken against them so far. He further stated that Pesco had not shifted the meters from top of poles to accessible points due to which reading was not possible.
Mian Abdul Manan proposed that a sub-committee should be constituted to investigate the entire matter. Secretary Water and Power also favoured constitution of a sub-committee to investigate the matter.
Deputy Speaker warned that when the Ministry's officials did not heed the parliamentarians then one of them would have to go, Secretary Water and Power replied "we will deal with it"; and further argued that no one was allowed to take the photo of a fake meter at home. At this, the Deputy Speaker angrily addressed the Secretary: "you cannot penalize any person unjustly."
CEO Pesco informed the committee that action was not limited to two XENs and nine SDOs but also against 16 meter readers.
According to a press release, the Standing Committee deemed the suspension of XENs and SDOs of Pesco an illegal offence and directed that Ministry of Water and Power to withdraw the show cause/termination notices immediately.
The Deputy Speaker expressed his concern over the non-serious attitude of the Ministry and MD Pepco towards official affairs. He stated that show cause/termination notices to nine SDOs and two XENs were issued on account of wrong reading as it was based on fake photos taken by meter readers; and added that the Ministry may terminate/suspend the officials involved in such illegal offence instead of initiating an action against senior management.
The Committee directed that Ministry to probe the matter by identifying the guilty and report to the committee within two days. The committee decided to hold its next meeting on 2nd February, 2017 to re-consider the said issue.
Nawab Yousuf Talpur, Convener of the Sub-Committee presented the report on the performance of DISCOs of Sindh.
The Committee adopted the report of the sub-Committee and directed the Ministry to submit the reply of the sub-Committee's report within 15 days of the meeting.
Syed Waseem Hussain also recommended that Line Superintendents, Meter Readers and Clerks are involved in electricity theft and if the government intends to eliminate theft and wrong billing it has to break the nexus of the three. He also criticised inclusion of Commissioners in Committees dealing with electricity billing issues. MNAs icluding Lieutenant Colonel Ghulam Rasool Sahi (R), Nawab Muhammad Yousuf Talpur, Junaid Akbar, Salim Rehman, Syed Waseem Hussain, attended the meeting, besides officials of the Ministry.