‘PIMS Colony power cut over unpaid bills’
PHOTO: FILE
The power supply to the living quarters of doctors and paramedics working in the largest public healthcare facility of the capital was disconnected by Islamabad’s power utility.
Residents of some 350 apartments of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences were left in the dark in freezing cold after Islamabad Electric Supply Corporation’s officials put the pliers to use.
Out on a recovery blitz, the power utility’s officials riding in their trucks were disconnecting electricity of bill defaulters. However, they stopped short of cutting the power supply of the hospital, as could have caused deaths of many patients, sources said.
IESCO cut power connections of some 350 apartments of PIMS Colony over non-payment of bills by the hospital management.
Families of doctors and paramedics residing in the flats faced extreme difficulties due to laxity of PIMS authority in payment of electricity bills.
Sources told The Express Tribune that PIMS management had sought a week’s deadline from the power utility for clearing dues. After expiry of the deadline, IESCO disconnected supply to the living quarters of the hospital.
They added that the government had released up to 25 per cent of the total electricity bill in the first quarter of the financial year starting July 2020. However, further payment was not made due to dearth of funds.
Sources said that the funds for the second quarter would be released before the end of December while Auditor General Pakistan Revenue (AGPR) would pay the remaining amount to IESCO in January 2021.
Meanwhile, IESCO has recovered around Rs70 million from the defaulters during the last few days.
IESCO Chief Chaudhry Abdul Razzaq said that despite public holidays and weekend, IESCO field offices remained open for collection of arrears. The company recovered arrears worth Rs60.9 million from some 10,350 consumers under different tariffs.
More than 1,000 power metres were removed over non-payments of some Rs10.44 million, he said.
IESCO chief hailed the performance of the field staff and said that timely recovery of bills and provision of uninterrupted power supply was the priority of the power supply company.
Abdul Razzaq said that they would not let anybody consume electricity without paying bills. He directed the field staff to refrain from restoring the power of those whose metres were cut until they clear arrears.
ISECO chief pledged that 100 per cent recoveries from the government and private sector consumers would be ensured.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 30th, 2020.