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The Audit officials on Tuesday disclosed in the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that 152 employees were found involved in overbilling within the Multan Electric Power Company (MEPCO). However, despite their involvement, they were only issued warnings and not penalized.
During the PAC meeting, chaired by Junaid Akbar, it was further revealed that six electricity companies had overcharged the public by Rs 21 billion through excessive billing. Shockingly, no action had been taken against those responsible. The committee proceeded to review an audit report detailing the Rs. 21 billion overbilling issue.
Committee member Bilal Ahmed questioned how it was possible for meter readers to engage in overbilling and yet remain unpunished. He pointed out that six electricity companies were repeatedly involved in the malpractice. Committee member Hina Rabbani Khar strongly criticized the electricity companies for exploiting poor consumers, revealing that in her constituency, individuals had been subjected to overbilling of up to Rs. 50,000 each. She urged the PAC to take strict action against the companies responsible for these unethical practices.
PAC Chairman Junaid Akbar Khan demanded comprehensive details on who had been held accountable and what actions had been taken regarding overbilling. He also questioned the role of Executive Engineers (XEN) and Sub-Divisional Officers (SDO), asserting that they do not perform fieldwork yet continue to receive high salaries while traveling in official vehicles.
In response, the CEO of Gujranwala Electric Power Company (GEPCO) defended the XENs and SDOs, stating that they are responsible officers within their respective areas and that occasional overbilling occurs due to human error. However, a committee member further inquired whether any action had been taken against corrupt XENs and SDOs. Hina Rabbani Khar emphasized that repeated incidents of overbilling in MEPCO indicated systemic corruption. She asserted that a single flawed sector had crippled the entire country.
Meanwhile, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) also demanded a list of the top 300 defaulters from electricity distribution companies (DISCOs). During the meeting, it was disclosed that the government of Balochistan was among the defaulters. The PAC requested a monthly recovery report from the Power Division, raising serious concerns over the current recovery process and seeking details of actions taken against officials.
During the meeting, Khalid Magsi declared that the biggest defaulter was the Balochistan government itself, while Sher Arbab Ali remarked that the failure of the power sector was purely a failure of governance.
The Secretary of the Power Division informed the committee that DISCOs had submitted documents claiming a recovery of Rs 162 billion. He assured that he would personally monitor the progress of dues collection. In response, the committee chairman instructed the Auditor General to verify the Rs 162 billion recovery by the next day. Khawaja Shiraz Mehmood questioned the legal validity of the current recovery procedures employed by DISCOs.
Furthermore, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MNA Sanaullah Masti Khel demanded a third-party audit of the Power Division, calling for a thorough investigation and accountability. Expressing his disappointment, Masti Khel stated that the Power Division had failed to fully utilize its allocated grants. He stressed that this issue was of national importance and instructed the concerned Deputy Commissioner to facilitate land acquisition for power projects.
