Power supply company slapped Rs28m fine for 11 deaths from electrocution

ISLAMABAD: The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has slapped a fine worth Rs28 million on Sukkur Electric Power Company (SEPCO) after holding it responsible for the deaths of 11 citizens from electrocution between July 2019 and November 2020, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

A fine worth Rs28 million has been imposed on Sukkur Electric Power Company (SEPCO) by NEPRA due to 20 electrocution deaths between the period of July 2019 and November 2020.

In its declaration, NEPRA stated that a three-member committee had been constituted to investigate the complaints against SEPCO regarding the deaths of the citizens from electrocution.

The probe team declared SEPCO responsible for 11 out of 20 deaths from electrocution including four SEPCO workers and seven were common people. The authority had also issued a show-cause notice to the SEPCO administration and provided the opportunity to give its stance in the hearing.

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According to NEPRA, the SEPCO administration failed to perform its legal responsibilities to maintain the safety standards and regulations besides failing to inform the electrocution deaths to authority.

The authority directed the SEPCO administration to pay Rs3,500,000 compensation money to each family whose beloved ones had lost their lives from electrocution just like the families of the deceased SEPCO employees. It has also been directed to share the details after the payment of compensation.