ISLAMABAD: The government is planning to introduce a law to check over-billing by the electricity distribution companies.
Minister for Power Owais Ahmed Khan Leghari said that the government had approved a plan to amend the law to take strict action against officials of DISCOS involved in over billing.
He said the law would be changed to punish officials involved in over billing and preparing wrong bills a three years jail term. He said that under the proposed law NEPRA would take action against the officials involved instead of the Federal Investigation Agency.
However, the FIA would investigate and submit a report to NEPRA about officials involved in over billing and wrong billing.
The distribution companies in Pakistan have been found in gross manipulation of meter reading and sending wrong bills to consumers. As there is no specific law to take legal action against the responsible, the practice is going on without any check.
The consumers have already been burdened with inflated electricity bills due to rising and unjustified taxes. There is an urgent need for action and steps to not only check overbilling but also removal of unjustified taxes on power bills.
