Federal Energy Minister Awais Leghari Takes Strict Notice of Overbilling and Incorrect Detection Bills by DISCOs; Mandates Central Portal for All Future Billings
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Energy Awais Leghari has shown serious concern over the billing statements which are being issued by the power distribution companies (DISCOs) to consumers throughout the country, which are excessive, incorrect and inflated.
The Federal Minister conducted a high-level meeting of the Boards of Directors of DISCOs in Islamabad and discussed the existing billing regime and gave clear instructions to implement a detailed and robust structure for detection billing. Leghari claimed that it would never again be “a consumer’s burden” to have to pay false detection bills.
Energy Minister Awais Leghari’s Directives on DISCO Billing Reforms are summarized below:
Centralised digital portal for detection bills: The Minister instructed that all the detection bills be issued through the central portal to eliminate arbitrary errors.
Strict and comprehensive ban on manual and arbitrary detection billing: Field staff and Sub-Divisional Officers (SDOs) have been banned from doing any manual, arbitrary detection billing.
Manual Bills of Detection: Manual bills of detection will be treated as serious offences from now on. Leghari said that field officers and officials involved in manual billing will be held accountable with severe punishment and field officers committed to the fair fight against electricity theft will be provided with no administrative hindrance.