ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Power Division Awais Leghari has said that an Electronic Power Monitoring System (EPMS) is being installed to disconnect transformers in areas affected by electricity theft.
Speaking during a visit to the expansion project of Dera Ghazi Khan Airport, the minister said the airport was being upgraded to accommodate international flights. The expansion project, costing Rs5.5 billion, is scheduled for completion in January 2028.
He said work was underway on four major development projects announced by the prime minister for Dera Ghazi Khan, including a cancer hospital, a sewerage project and road-widening schemes.
Regarding the power sector, Leghari said electricity load-shedding across the country was being carried out according to a predetermined plan. Load-shedding would continue on feeders with line losses of 30 per cent or more, he added.
The minister maintained that consumers had been protected from excessively high electricity bills; however, those involved in power theft or failing to pay their bills would not receive any relief.
Leghari further said that gas shortages resulting from the Iran-US war were increasing the cost of electricity generation.
He explained that the EPMS would enable authorities to disconnect transformers in areas where electricity theft was prevalent. The system would allow targeted action against electricity theft without affecting other consumers connected to the same feeder, he added.
