In a revelation that raises eyebrows, around 190,000 employees working in power generation companies (GENCOs) and distribution companies (DISCOs) benefited from free electricity valued at a staggering Rs. 10.5 billion during the fiscal year 2022-23 (FY23).
The data brings to light that employees across various DISCOs, GENCOs, and the National Transmission and Despatch Company Limited (NTDC) collectively availed an astounding 35.56 million free units during FY23. Delving into the specifics, the document outlines that employees ranging from Grade 1 to Grade 22 enjoyed this privilege, with even retired employees included in this group, savoring a share of the allocated free units.
Breaking down the figures, it is revealed that 34,488 employees of the Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) utilized free electricity amounting to Rs. 2.827 billion. Following closely, 20,834 employees of the Gujranwala Electric Power Company (GEPCO) received units worth Rs. 1.135 billion without any charge.
Other major power companies like Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (FESCO), Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO), Multan Electric Power Company (MEPCO), Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO), Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO), Sukkur Electric Supply Company (SEPCO), and Quetta Electric Supply Company (QESCO) distributed the remaining free units.
The document provides insights into the distribution of free units based on employee grades. For GENCO employees in Grade 1-4, they received 300 units monthly, while Grade 5-16 officers were entitled to 600 units per month. The allocations further increased to 650-700 units for Grade 17-18 officers, respectively. Grade 19-20 employees enjoyed 1,000 units each, and Grade 21-22 officers were granted 1,300 units on a monthly basis.
Interestingly, retired GENCO employees received half the total number of free units given to active officers in the corresponding grade.
Likewise, DISCOs and NTDC employees were recipients of free units. Officers in Grades 1-4 received 100 units monthly, Grades 5-15 were entitled to 200 free units, and Grade 16-17 were awarded 300-450 units, respectively. Employees in Grade 18-19 consumed 800-880 units, while Grade 20-22 officers got 1,100-1,300 units per month.
Retired employees of DISCOs and NTDC followed a similar pattern, receiving half the total number of free units given to active officers in the corresponding grade. The revelation sparks discussions around the allocation and utilization of resources within the power sector, prompting a closer examination of the policies governing such perks for government employees.
