Daily Times

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar said on Tuesday that indiscriminate action will be initiated for electricity theft and the “big fish” will be apprehended first during this campaign.

He stated this while chairing a high-level meeting held at CM Office.

The Federal Minister for Power Omar Ayub Khan also attended the meeting, which took a detailed review of the future strategy of Punjab with regard to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s campaign against electricity theft. It decided to constitute a CM’s taskforce for stopping electricity theft in Punjab.

The meeting decided that action will be initiated in the first phase against industrial, commercial and big domestic users. Secretary level officers will head the provincial taskforce while special committees will also be constituted at divisional and district levels.

Commissioners and deputy commissioners will lead the divisional and district level committees respectively and divisional and district police officers will also be included in these special committees. The CM’s taskforce will have full cooperation and support of the federal government and other concerned federal agencies.

Addressing the meeting, Sardar Usman Buzdar said that action will be initiated against the government staff providing discreet support in the theft of electricity and no political association or pressure will be taken care of. He said that the launch of campaign for stopping electricity theft by PM Imran Khan is a welcome step and Punjab government will fully take part in this national campaign.

Power Minister Omar Ayub Khan, in his address, said that losses to the tune of Rs 300 billion are being occurred due to electricity theft or other technical instances every year.

He said, “We are moving towards using latest technology to overcome the menace of electricity theft. Everybody will have to jointly work to make this campaign a success.”

Punjab chief secretary, federal secretary power, additional inspector general, energy additional chief secretary, the Lahore Electric Supply Company chief executive officer and secretaries of the concerned departments attended the meeting.

Separately, on the directions of Usman Buzdar, anti-encroachment committees have been constituted in every district to monitor the ongoing operation against land-grabbers and encroachments.

The DCs will head the committees which will also include the concerned DPO/CPO, a district officer of the local government department and senior officers of development authorities. The members of provincial and national assembly of the district, civil society members and notables of the area will also be included in these committees which will be responsible for planning and monitoring of operation against encroachments and land-grabbers on daily basis.

In this regard, the Punjab CM issued directions that state lands must be retrieved from the clutches of powerful mafias and made it clear that indiscriminate operation against illegal occupants of state lands will be continued. However, these operations will not be conducted in kachi abadis or places where hawkers, daily wage earners and the poor live. If any complaint is received in this regard, action will be initiated against the concerned officials, he warned. He said that this operation will be continued against the illegal occupants in areas managed by Lahore Development Authority, Rawalpindi Development Authority, Food & Drug Administration, Multan Development Authority, Gwadar Development Authority and other authorities without any discrimination. No one will be allowed to usurp upon the state land, he said, adding that the ongoing operation against the powerful land-grabbers and squatters will be concluded to its logical end.

Separately, Balochistan Forests Minister Mir Ziaullah called on Buzdar at his office.

During the meeting, various matters of mutual interest including promotion of inter-provincial harmony came under discussion. The CM said that we all have to move along in the journey of national development and prosperity and added that passions of brotherhood, harmony and cohesion will be promoted among the provinces.

“We all have to make a new Pakistan together. Balochistan is very near to my heart and every possible effort will be made for its development,” the CM concluded.

Separately, Buzdar said that the mind is the most important part of the human body and its balance is imperative for a healthy life.

The CM said that regular exercise and recreational activities keep both mind and soul healthy while a lifestyle contrary to the laws of nature increases the chances of mental diseases. He said that a lifestyle that commensurate with the laws of nature and natural habitat decreases the chances of mental sickness.

“Lack of knowledge about mental diseases and negligence about timely diagnosis and treatment of such illness can increase the psychiatric diseases and diminishes the mental and physical capabilities of the patients,” he said.

Published in Daily Times, October 10^th 2018.