Probe recommends recovery of Rs 480,000 from ex-president; 32 residents involved in misusing agriculture/tubewell tariff
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
By Ansar Abbasi
ISLAMABAD: The Chak Shahzad farmhouses power scam has turned out to be a case of Ali Baba and 40 thieves as the inquiry into the matter has detected 34 cases of wrong applications of concessional tariff and further 14 cases of power theft/defective meter by the powerful and mighty residents of the area.
Sources in the Islamabad Electric Power Company (Iesco) revealed to The News that the self-claimed “Mr Clean” General Pervez Musharraf has to be proven to have been misusing the cheapest agricultural power tariff.
The inquiry recommends action against all the power thieves and those, who have been enjoying wrong tariff to their advantage.
In case of General Musharraf, the inquiry sought from the Iesco to get Rs 480,000 from the man, who ruled the country for nine years and finally booted out of the corridors of authority through the power of the people.
The inquiry report has already been submitted to Managing Director Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco) Tahir Basharat Cheema, who, following the unearthing of the power scam by The News, had ordered a thorough probe into the matter.
According to the inquiry, which covered 522 connections of the farmhouses in Chak Shahzad, a total of 32 residents were found involved in misusing agriculture/tubewell tariff to their advantage, including General Pervez Musharraf.
In all these cases, instead of using A-1(a) or (b) tariffs meant for domestic consumers, these influential were enjoying D-2(1) tariff that is the most low-priced and subsidised too but strictly meant for agriculture use.
The inquiry, the sources said, also caught 14 cases of power theft/defective meters. In cases of the wrong application of tariff, the inquiry recommends recovery of the differential amount that in case of General Musharraf has been calculated at Rs 480,000. Power theft is considered a much serious offence but the authorities are finding it hard to ascertain if the defective meters got faulty on their own or were tempered with by such residents in connivance with the Iesco authorities.
It is interesting to note that in a televised interview from London, Musharraf accused this correspondent of being “negative” and claimed to be “Mr clean”. He said he did not ask any one to offer him cheap power tariff and claimed to have paid what he was charged.
Contrary to the days when he used to rule the roost and when the whole government machinery was at his beck and call, of late there was none but a non-entity and some architect, who refuted The News stories about Musharraf and said, “Mr Ansar Abbasi’s write-up in The News on 23rd May titled ‘Cheap electricity for Musharraf, ex-ISI chief and others’ is a classic case of ‘hearsay’ journalism.
Had the writer checked his facts, or at least taken the version of those he has callously accused, as a professional journalist is expected to do, his write-up would have been accurate.”
In its initial response, the Iesco too refuted The News story but it had to eat its own words after the Pepco took serious notice of The News reports and ordered investigations through a committee consisting of customer services director (convener), manager S&I (member) & regional manager (M&T concerned).
The committee was entrusted (a) to thrash out the cases of the farmhouses with independent sub-stations situated in Chak Shehzad and surrounding areas and dig out whether the cost of sub-stations have been recovered or not in the original context i.e. at the time of getting power connections. (b) Whether the farmhouses have been charged correct tariff after physically verifying the nature of load installed in the premises. (c) Whether any conversion of tariff has taken place after installation of connection under some other tariff.
(d) Whether the premises have more than one connection to afford undue benefit to the consumers. (e) Whether the owners of the farmhouses have been extended undue benefits at the cost of interests of Iesco.
(f) The matter of the farmhouses must be thoroughly checked to ensure whether the consumers are indulging in any foul play or not.
(g) Farmhouses in other areas of Islamabad may also be checked irrespective of the criteria of provision of independent sub-stations or not.
After Pepco’s intervention, the Public Accounts Committee as well as National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Water and Power also took up the matter and sought report from the authorities.
The Pepco is expected to place before these parliamentary committees the outcome of its probe, which is also expected to be made public in the near future.
Source:
More power scams at capital farmhouses found