NEPRA imposes Rs10m fine on LESCO over safety lapse

LAHORE: The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has imposed a fine of Rs10 million on Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) over failure to implement safety measures, ARY News reported.

According to NEPRA, LESCO had previously been instructed to complete the earthing of 100% of their poles, but they failed to implement the directions.

As a result, NEPRA has not only imposed the fine but also instructed LESCO to complete the earthing of the remaining steel structures within three months.

Additionally, LESCO has been ordered to complete the earthing of PCC poles within a year. Such fines were previously imposed on other companies such as K-Electric, FESCO, and GEPCO.

Earlier, NEPRA imposed a Rs 10 million fine on K-Electric (KE) over the electrocution incidents in Karachi from 2022 to 2023 that resulted in the deaths of 33 citizens.

READ: NEPRA fines KE over electrocution cases

The NEPRA rejected K-Electric’s response to the show-cause notice and imposed the fine. The regulatory body directed K-Electric to deposit the fine amount in a designated bank within 15 days.

The NEPRA has directed K-Electric to pay Rs3.5 million in compensation to the heirs of each affected family.

Additionally, the authority has directed K-Electric to provide a job to one of the heirs of Muhammad Aslam, one of the victims.