Pakistan Railways is facing a serious crisis after an internal inquiry revealed that more than Rs. 110 million was wrongly paid in fake electricity bills. The findings raised strong concerns about weak oversight inside key departments. This case has opened a wider debate on how such huge losses went unnoticed, even though systems existed to prevent errors, protect funds, and control all billing activity across different divisions.
Audit Leads to Detailed Investigation
The issue first appeared during a routine audit of 2023 electricity payments, where unusual charges were discovered. This prompted a deeper check that uncovered repeated clearance of highly inflated bills. Investigators found that important verification steps were ignored despite having tools to detect wrong amounts. These results highlight long-standing problems in rule enforcement and weak monitoring of monthly consumption, which allowed major financial damage.
Officials Ignored Basic Verification Rules
Inquiry visuals and documents showed that several officers cleared bills without checking meter readings or verifying actual electricity usage. One official stated that payments were approved without cross-checking consumption, which is a basic duty in such sensitive matters. This failure reflects a profound lack of care and responsibility. Such practices not only weaken the system but also create space for misuse, causing heavy losses to national resources.
LESCO Bills Found Inflated and Unjustified
Investigators discovered that LESCO had issued combined electricity bills for three Railway colonies even though each residential unit had its own separate meter. These combined bills contained unexplained adjustments and excessive fixed charges. The inflated amounts slipped through because no one bothered to check the bill details individually. This lack of proper review made it easier for large-scale overbilling to continue without being noticed for a long period.
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Internal Failures Deepened the Financial Loss
The Electrical Department of the Railway Workshops Division paid these inflated bills directly without any verification. Officers responsible for reviewing them allegedly approved all charges blindly. This careless approval caused multimillion-rupee losses to the rail network. The inquiry further revealed that some officers had remained in the same positions for years, violating the rotation policy designed to prevent corruption and stop long-term influence in sensitive posts.
Negligence Linked to Specific Officers
Responsibility has been placed on the Divisional Electrical Engineer Works, the Senior Electrical Engineer Workshops and wireman officers who stayed in the same roles for long periods. Their continued presence in sensitive seats allowed irregularities to grow unchecked. The inquiry report has now been submitted to Pakistan Railways CEO Aamir Ali Baloch for strict action, highlighting the seriousness of this governance failure across departments.
Call for Strict Action and Policy Enforcement
The Vigilance Directorate has recommended immediate disciplinary action against all officers involved in the fraud. It has also urged strict enforcement of the rotation policy to prevent such cases in the future. The case is expected to trigger stronger monitoring methods and improved bill-checking rules across Pakistan Railways. These steps aim to restore trust, improve transparency, and ensure that public funds remain protected at every stage.
