Lahore Electric Supply Company

Early History

The Punjab Government, however, were anxious to introduce electricity in the province and despairing of any one coming forward to undertake such a scheme, they took the initiative of installing small generating plants in some of their buildingsin Lahore. One plant was installed in the Government House, another in the Secretariat, a third in the Central Jail and one on the Mall for supplying some buildings there and the Montgomery Hall. Nedou’s Hotel , Charing Cross Hotel(now the Falettis Hotel) and the Punjab Club quickly followed suit. The plants how-ever proved more of an anxiety than aconvenience on account of the attention they required and unreliability of supply. 

PUNJAB GOERNMENT’S INITIATIVE

The advent of electricity in Indi was heralded by the Darjeeling Municipality in 1897 by the installation of a hydro-electric generating plant. For this purpose they secured the services of the Late Mr. J.W. Meares, who later rose to be the Electric advisor to the Government of India. The example set by Bengal’s summer capital moved the two presidency towns to undertake the venture, but it was not till 10 years later that the movement was initiated there to replace the old oil lamp. It was also about this time that the proposal to bring electricity to Lahore was first mooted. Several firms thought of undertaking the venture but for one reason or the other they all gave up the idea. The Lahore Municipality then interested itself and a scheme was drawn up for them by a British firm. Kennedy and Jenkins of Westminster. The total cost of the scheme was estimated to be $35,    for meeting a demand of 8,500 lights and 1,600fans only. It involved the construction of two power stations, one near Robert Road and the other at Charing Cross. The City fathers were divided on this issue, some favoring the electrification of the civil area first and others favoring the walled city area. The Municipality, however, considered the scheme expensive and eventually dropped it.