Electricity defaulters: Govt departments owe TESCO over Rs728 million

PESHAWAR:

At least 11 government departments have failed to pay their electricity bills, totaling Rs728.512 million, a Tribal Areas Electricity Company (Tesco) official revealed.

On Monday, Tesco issued notices to these defaulting departments, asking them to pay their electricity bills by June 30.

A spokesperson for Tesco said that the power distribution company showed Rs 667.811 million in arrears against 11 government departments in Fata and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in April 2011.

He said that at least Rs24.790 million have to be paid by Cadet College  Razmak in North Waziristan, Rs41.841 million against Fata DC office, Rs33.750 million against Garrison Engineers of Pakistan Army, Rs37.442 against paramilitary scouts, Rs27.786 million against Frontier Corps and Rs43.412 million against Political Agents in different agencies in Fata.

The official added that at least Rs29.611 million are owed up by the Higher Education Department, Rs68.241 million against the health department, Rs130.780 million against  the Works and Services department, Rs176.736 million against Water Management and Rs53.422 million against the Irrigation and Power department in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

The spokesperson said that Tesco has issued notices to these defaulting departments for clearance of their dues in time, as the financial situation of the company is fragile and it cannot bear the additional burden of arrears.

The official said that Tesco would have no option but to disconnect supply to these departments if they fail to deposit their dues by the
set date.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 31^st, 2011.