LAHORE:Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Ahmad Khan has expressed serious concern over complaints of alleged bribery, negligence, unannounced load-shedding, incorrect billing and harassment of citizens by certain Lesco officials.
The PA Speaker said that the complaints and evidence regarding Lesco would be brought before the Prime Minister. He said that addressing the problems of the people of his constituency was his responsibility and that pointing out corruption and seeking redressal of public grievances could not be termed political interference.
Talking to the media at the Punjab Assembly, Malik Ahmad said that people in Lesco-served areas were facing prolonged outages and various other electricity-related problems. He said some citizens had complained that officials at the SDO and XEN levels allegedly demanded bribes ranging from Rs150,000 to Rs200,000, while poor citizens were also forced to collect large sums of money for the repair of faulty transformers.
The Speaker said that action against electricity theft should be taken strictly in accordance with the law; however, an entire village or locality could not be punished for the alleged electricity theft of an individual. He stressed that the sanctity of privacy and homes must be respected during operations at citizens’ residences. He also questioned prolonged unannounced load-shedding in certain areas and the difficulties being faced by ordinary consumers in the name of recovering line losses.
PA Speaker said Lesco officers should not remain confined to their offices but should visit the field to assess the situation on the ground. Referring to electricity supply issues, exposed wires and other problems faced by citizens in different areas of Kasur, he said it was the responsibility of the relevant authorities to address public complaints promptly.
He added that he had also spoken to the Federal Minister for Energy regarding the matter and that the entire issue would be brought before the Prime Minister.He said officials facing allegations of corruption would be asked to respond in accordance with the law. He made it clear that taking bribes and still failing to resolve citizens’ legitimate problems was unacceptable and that such matters could not be ignored. He said citizens should not have to repeatedly visit the offices of elected representatives to get their legitimate issues resolved, and that the relevant officials must discharge their responsibilities themselves.
Regarding political protests, the Speaker said political disagreement and peaceful protest were constitutional rights; however, violence, damage to public or private property, and attacks on state institutions did not fall within the scope of a political right.
The Speaker said that setting fire to a citizen’s home or damaging government and sensitive installations was not a political activity but a crime. He stressed that political differences should be expressed within the framework of the Constitution and the law, and that the rule of law should apply equally to everyone.
