Joint action: Rangers to help Hesco teams in recovery drive

HYDERABAD:

Paramilitary forces will be engaged in a recovery drive for electricity bills. They will knock at the doors of the defaulters and power thieves, along with teams of the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO).

The state minister for water and power, Abid Sher Ali, issued these directives on Wednesday to Hesco to gain the support of the Rangers during a meeting in Hyderabad. “With the help of the Rangers, 100 per cent recovery [of the power bills] and crackdown on the electricity thieves should be ensured,” the minister said.

The power distribution company, whose jurisdiction covers 14 districts of Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas and Nawabshah divisions, claims arrears on the consumers to the tune of over Rs60 billion. The offices and establishments of the Sindh government are the biggest defaulters with some Rs32.35 billion in unpaid bills. Private and domestic consumers together owe Rs26.24 billion to Hesco, while the federal government has to pay Rs2.05 billion to the company.

“The connections of the Sindh government [offices] should be cut off if they don’t pay their current bills,” said Ali. The Hesco’s spokesperson, Sadiq Kubar, told The Express Tribune that Rangers personnel will be stationed in all the four operation circles of HESCO. The contingents are expected to join the recovery teams within the next few days.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 3^rd,  2015.