The over-billing of electricity continues throughout the country, on the other hand the embezzlement of electricity and gas from the government grid has damaged the public treasury
The masses are also deprived of electricity and gas supply as per their needs during the severe winter season against that citizens are seen protesting these days when political parties are knocking on their doors to ask for votes. Over the extensive load shedding of gas and electricity continues throughout the country.
On the other hand electricity thieves are violating the rights of loyal citizens who submit regular bills. Ironically the gas and power are not providing to the citizens extremely overcast bills being sending to consumers.
Currently hundreds of cases of gas embezzlement are under hearing in the special courts of gas utility in the country. It should be remembered that non-collection of utility bills has been a major problem in the country. In which virtually every government has failed so far. While the shortfall between the bill and the received amount is increasing due to the mugging of electricity over the past years.
There has also been an increase in the theft of gas while in the current situation it has become impossible for the citizens to collect the utility bill. Electricity theft has almost doubled in three years. The main targets of electricity and gas theft are honest consumers who have to bear the brunt of non-receipt of dues.
Due to this electricity supply companies bear the entire burden to cover line losses and regular bill-paying consumers. It imposes on those who are already burdened by inflation and unemployment.
According to an esteemed newspaper, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited and Sui Southern Gas Company are struggling to control gas theft but they are not getting success.
There is conspiracy in fact most areas of Sindh and Punjab, including some areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa those come under the jurisdiction of these companies are equivalent to not being billed. These areas are involved in gas stealing on a large scale.
Among these electricity thieves the industrialists come first who steal billions of rupees annually by stealing government gas and electricity. They cause damage to the public treasury but because of them the required gas and electricity do not reach the eligible consumers.
So the situation is not different in the areas under the control of SSGC. Some parts of Balochistan are involved in heavy theft which is 40 percent of the total theft. Remember that two years ago by amending the law a plan was made to establish gas utility courts by handing over the powers of action against gas thieves to the Prime Minister but this did not bring much benefit.
It should be remembered that hundreds of cases of gas theft are currently pending in the courts across the country. The second important reason is that the issue of electricity and gas stealing has been politicized. There has often been silence between the provincial and federal governments besides the provinces have been accusing each other of shoplifting while the reality is that the provinces in which the population there is a lot of embezzlement there, especially the provinces that have industry are involved in the most stealing but when it comes to taking action against it, that is made a problem of provincial bias.
All the provinces including this federation will now have to accept the fact that where there is theft, action will be taken. It is not right to give political color to it but it is sad to say that the democratic governments in the country are not able to survive due to which these problems are increasing day by day.
Therefore it is necessary that this year the political workers and the voters should elect such people’s representatives who can establish a strong democratic government that could solve the above problem.
