Pakistan

Electricity bills burnt in protest

Express June 18, 2010

SUKKUR: Residents of Gharibabad in Sukkur took to the streets on Thursday as they protested prolonged power outages.

Several men and women organised a rally and marched through markets, holding placards and shouting slogans against the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco). Protesters also burnt tyres and set fire to electricity bills.

They complained that they are still charged for extra units even when they hardly receive any power supply. They announced that they will not pay bills for this month in protest.

Power outages last more than 10 hours in Sukkur and interior Sindh even though Pakistan Electric Power Company promised that there will be no more unannounced power cuts.

These promises proved false as residents of Shikarpur, Kandhkot, Jacobabad, Larkana, Sukkur, Ghotki and Khairpur continue to live in darkness.

The electricity shortfall in Sukkur and adjacent areas is almost 180 megawatts. According to Hesco officials, power outages are scheduled to last three hours in the cities and six hours in the villages. They explained that electricity feeders are tripping due to overload but they are hopeful that all feeders will be fixed within the next 15 days and power supply is expected to improve after that.

Published in the Express Tribune, June 18^th, 2010.

COMMENTS (1)

Sarfaraz Memon | 13 years ago | Reply Residents of Sukkur and other parts of Upper Sindh are being treated step-motherly by the Hesco, because when Pepco announce three hours load shedding in the urban areas, Hesco starts six to eight hours load shedding in Sukkur and other areas. Local Hesco officers never listen to the hue and cry of the people and are busy in minting money. On Thursday women folk irked with long power outages and over reading and inflated bills took to the streets and strongly Hesco for this high handedness. They also announced not to pay electricity bills for the month of June and I strongly support their stance, as the government has failed miserably to provide any relief to the masses.

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