Lesco runs out of transformers

LAHORE: Some localities of the city have been without power for the last two to three days as the Lahore Electric Supply Company virtually runs out of transformers, with its high-ups calling the situation “alarming, which can turn critical”. According to them, the company has not been able to procure transformers since June last year for different reasons. Its tendering process ran aground as allegations of corruption scared the Board of Directors and successive chief executives to the extent of deciding on purchase. On Tuesday, a locality close to the posh area of Gulberg and adjacent to Qurban (police) Line was without electricity for the last three days as its overloaded transformer burst on Saturday and was not replaced till the filing of this report. No procurement since June last year Similarly, a locality in Rehmanpura sub-division was out of power for 24 hours as the Lesco had been unable or unwilling to replace its burnt-out transformer since Monday afternoon. These cases were in addition to a number of others, where consumers were able to “influence or bribe” their way to power. Explaining the enormity and background of the crisis, a Lesco official said: “The company normally procures around 5,000 transformers of different categories every year. With the PML-N government taking over, it replaced the Board of Directors of the company. The new BoD did not place order for transformers or meters for the next eight months as the tenders and suppliers went through different layers of scrutiny.” He said it was only when the former chief executive started shouting from the rooftops about the critical nature of supply, especially during summer, the BoD moved but placed only a partial order. To the bad luck of the company, even that order was stopped midway as the FIA arrested the former chief executive and the BoD was sacred out of the process, he said. Currently, he said, the company was left with around 150 transformers of different categories against its normal backup of 1,000. “During summer peak, when humidity descends, the burning rate of transformers goes up to 20. What is making the situation worse is categories of those transformers; if 25KVA is required, the company can spare only of 200KVA, or vice versa,” he said. According to the official, in next few days, there may be dozens of such localities that stay without power for days as over-stretched local repair system collapses. “The BoD has been without chairman since January,” says a board member. The BoD, which is there to only monitor purchases and act on the advice of company officials, is facing investigations. He says there are a number of players that intervene at each stage of procurement or planning. The PM House keeps a watch and interprets everything on its own, and so does the Chief Minister Secretariat. There are two ministers and one adviser to PM. The ministry, led by an ‘enthusiastic’ secretary, is also there to make things work its own way. With so many players, the decision-making process suffers and results have come back to haunt the company and consumers alike, he says. Published in Dawn, July 2nd, 2014