LAHORE: Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) dismissed three of its officers from duty on Friday for accepting bribes from customers to correct inflated bills.
Concerning the company’s Baghbanpura (Lahore) division, complaints had been made.
“It is absolutely absurd that consumers, who are already experiencing extreme financial strain as a result of inflated bills with significant gasoline price adjustment charges, general sales tax, etc., are required to pay bribes for bill rectification. “The government needs to pay close attention to the situation,” a customer told lescobillonline.net’s reporter.
XEN (Baghbanpura) Rab Yar, Revenue Officer Abdul Jabbar, and Commercial Assistant Muhammad Imran have all been placed on administrative leave, according to a LESCO representative.
LESCO chief issued a statement saying, “We will not permit anyone to use correction of invoices for the vested interests.”
“The consumers must complain to us in case there is any concern,” he continued.
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At a press conference, Mr. Amin stated that the FPA costs had been removed from the bills of residential clients who had consumed up to 200 units.
He continued by saying that similar steps were also being taken to rectify the invoices of tube-well clients.
He added that people who had already deposited their bills would be compensated for the FPA charges/amounts and that “We have directed all banks to receive all manually corrected bills.”
Additionally, we have extended the deadline for submitting such amended bills for deposit until August 31.
The rickshaw union and other labor-representing organizations in Lahore organized protest marches on Friday. Awami Rickshaw Union-affiliated rickshaw drivers protested outside the Lahore Press Club and yelled anti-government chants as they accused the government of swindling low-income consumers under the guise of the FPA and other fees added to power bills.
They also complained about the Lahore Transport Company’s (LTC) continuous challenging of their rickshaws for minor infractions. If the FPA, GST, and other provisions were not removed from the bills, they threatened the government with holding a sit-in at Charing Cross.
One of the demonstrators remarked, “We also ask the government to prohibit the LTC from issuing challans.”