Power Ministry to Hire 10,000 People to Prevent Power Theft

Minister for Power, Omer Ayub Khan, announced on Friday that the ministry is planning to hire more people in the power distribution companies through a transparent procedure to fill in the shortage of meter readers and technical personnel in order to prevent electricity theft. The minister said that there will be as many as 10,000 hirings in this regard. He made this announcement in the question hour in the National Assembly. Ayub further revealed that they will hire the new staff through advertisements in a transparent manner to improve the efficiency of the power distribution companies. He apprised the House that the Power Division had clearly directed all the power distribution companies to ensure accurate billing and abstain from overcharging the public. ALSO READ UET Peshawar Students Develop a Solution to Power Theft In case of overcharged electricity bill, the consumer can write to the relevant offices for their grievances’ redressal, said the minister. He told the parliamentarians that vacancies of meter readers and technical staff remained unfilled for years. Due to the shortage of staff, incidents like overbilling and fictitious meter readings occurred, Ayub added. The minister said that they will improve the financial condition of the power sector through technology, administrative measures, and better availability of human resources. According to him, around 250 officials in the power companies have been terminated while 8000 first information reports (FIRs) have been filed. Moreover, they have sent 1250 officials to jail in lieu of FIRs on charges of power theft and other crimes. Via: Express