Billions of rupees in alleged irregularities have been uncovered in electricity bills issued to government departments across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with public-sector power expenses exceeding Rs14 billion.
The provincial Finance Department has ordered a detailed scrutiny of electricity bills after reports of incorrect meter readings and inflated unit consumption placed a heavy burden on the national exchequer.
In one striking case, the electricity bill of a government office in Haripur was reduced from Rs32.7 million to just Rs5,993 following verification.
The Finance Department has made verification of electricity bills mandatory before payments are released by government departments.
It has also issued instructions to all Drawing and Disbursing Officers (DDOs) and sent a formal communication to the relevant authorities to ensure compliance.
