The Lahore Commissioner office has decided to take up complaints of harassment and unlawful power disconnections by Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) field teams with senior Lesco officials in a meeting scheduled for Tuesday, July 14, after consumers across the city sought intervention in the matter.
Multiple consumers from areas including Attari Saroba, Johar Town, Thokar Niaz Beg, Multan Road and Gulberg have accused Lesco teams of pressuring them to pay bills on the spot, threatening removal of meters and disconnection of power supply even when no previous dues were outstanding.
A consumer from Attari Saroba on Ferozepur Road said a Lesco team visited his house on Saturday and demanded immediate payment of the bill, threatening to remove the meter otherwise.
He said the bill was only for the month of July and the due date had just passed, with no previous dues pending. Despite explaining this, he said the team continued pressuring him and misbehaved, forcing him to pay the bill on the spot.
Nishtar Tehsil Assistant Commissioner Saleem Aasi told Dawn that Lesco officials had removed electricity meters of some consumers in Lahore GOR-1 without prior notice.
He said the meters were removed and power disconnected a couple of days earlier without any information being given to consumers, and criticised the conduct of the officials involved.
Rules state that power cannot be disconnected through meter removal unless bill payments are pending for both the current and previous month. However, Lesco teams have reportedly been disconnecting connections over non-payment of a single month bill for several months now.
PSO to Lahore Commissioner Ameer Hussain confirmed that a meeting with Lesco officers had been scheduled for Tuesday to discuss several issues, including the harassment complaints.
He said the matter was added to the agenda after reports emerged of Lesco teams pressuring citizens over bill recovery, and added that Lesco would be asked to stop such practices.
Lesco Chief Executive Officer Ramzan Butt said consumers who failed to pay even a single month bill were now treated as defaulters. He explained that the policy previously applied only to consumers who missed payments for two consecutive months, but was later revised to include those who missed a single month bill as well.
He denied that there had been widespread complaints of harassment by Lesco teams, but said he would check the matter and take action against any officials found involved in such practices.
